On March 3, 2026, nationally recognized criminology researchers Dr. Aili Malm and Dr. Bill Sousa of UNLV briefed the city staff on the results of an independent assessment of the city of Las Vegas Department of Public Safety.
The briefing followed an $800,000 grant awarded in October 2023 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, which funded a comprehensive evaluation of the department’s safety, accountability, fairness and effectiveness.
The department’s initial assessment is based on an expert review across 100 nationally recognized policing metrics. The framework used in the evaluation also aligns with the department’s ongoing efforts to obtain Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation, which the department expects to complete by June 2027.
According to the researchers, the Department of Public Safety’s initial ranking was positive and represents the third-highest starting assessment they have observed in similar evaluations. Previous assessments have included agencies such as the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, Tucson Police Department, Tampa Police Department and Bellevue Police Department in Nebraska.
To view the assessment, click here.