LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Once a recruit graduates and officially joins the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the training doesn’t stop. The real challenge starts when classroom walls disappear and new officers hit the streets for field training.
After months in the classroom, the streets are where it all starts to count. New Las Vegas Metro police officers graduate from the academy, then report to patrol and learn what the job really looks like outside a controlled environment.
“What they learn in the academy echoes what they face out here in the street. So that is the baseline, that is the foundation,” said Sgt. Michael Mendez.
Inside Metro’s Northeast Area Command
Every day at the station starts with a briefing. Supervisors talk about crime trends and priorities for the shift. From there, it’s hours of calls, some urgent, some routine.
In the driver’s seat, Metro Field Training Officer Ashley Fesler explained to new officers that every stop is a chance to turn academy lessons into muscle memory.
“We’re here to enforce the law, and that’s exactly what we just did,” Fesler said.
Traffic stop reveals outstanding warrants
Midway into a ride-along, a driver blew through a red light, and Fesler decided to pull him over. When she ran the plate, the stop turned into something more.
“It was revealed that there was two outstanding warrants for the driver,” Fesler said.
The man was cuffed and taken to jail. For Fesler, it’s a prime example she shares with new officers — a decision to act on one traffic violation can expose a bigger problem.
“That’s a major intersection, it’s filled with vehicles, and it’s filled with pedestrians, it’s filled with families walking across the street. So, when somebody’s running a red light, the potential for him striking a pedestrian or another vehicle is extremely high,” Fesler said.
Later in the shift, Fesler spotted a car speeding and revving its engine.
“I explained the reason for the stop, they denied it. Unfortunately, they were still cited for the infraction,” Fesler said.
Metro Police is always looking for recruits. Applicants must be 21 years or older, have a driver’s license, and pass a background check.
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