Henderson Police Chief LaTesha Watson has been placed on administrative leave until further notice, the city announced Thursday. Henderson Police Department Chief LaTesha Watson has been placed on administrative leave until further notice, the city announced Thursday, March 14. (Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco) Henderson Police Department Chief LaTesha Watson is interviewed at Southpoint in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. (Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal) Henderson Police Chief LaTesha Watson has been placed on administrative leave until further notice, the city announced Thursday. No reason was given. Deputy Police Chief Thedrick Andres will step into the role of acting police chief. “City Manager Richard Derrick has the utmost confidence in the department’s leadership and Henderson will continue to be one of America’s safest cities thanks to the many fine officers and civilians that work at the Henderson Police Department,” city spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said in a statement. Watson, whose annual salary is $190,000, will be paid while on leave, according to her supervisor, Bristol Ellington, deputy city manager and chief operating officer for Henderson. Ellington said he was not at liberty to discuss the situation further. “Dealing with personnel matters, it’s very difficult to get into,” he said. Watson, who was sworn in as chief in November 2017, was brought in as an outsider and reformer after her predecessor, Patrick Moers, was ousted amid a sexual harassment investigation. Before joining Henderson police, Watson was deputy chief at the Arlington Police Department in Texas. The city spent more than $50,000 investigating complaints against the chief last year. Most of the investigations revealed no policy infractions on Watson’s part, but some revealed issues with leaders in the Police Department. In November, two Henderson police unions filed a complaint with the state-run Local Government Employee-Management Relations Board accusing Watson of union busting. “We believe that change of leadership is necessary and should be imminent,” said Rick McCann, executive director of the Nevada Association of Public Safety Officers, who is representing both unions in the complaint. Andres is also named in the filing. Since Watson took office, the Police Department has had significant turnover. As of November, 19 people had been promoted to leadership positions. In January, the department was forced to rescind promotions after the first-time chief attempted to change the way she hires captains. The department backtracked on the promotions because the changes went into effect before officers had an opportunity to comment on the new policy. Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.<doc-sep>UPDATE 8:30 A.M. MARCH 21: A petition on change.org is requesting the city of Henderon reinstate LaTesha Watson as the Chief of Police after she was put on administrative leave last week. As of this reporting, the petition has 71 signatures. ORIGINAL STORY HENDERSON (KTNV) - The allegations are flying in the city of Henderson as a person claiming to be a police employee is launching a new round of questions about the city’s leadership. Tuesday, serious discussions were on the agenda in a scheduled City Council meeting with documents citing complaints to be included as part of the official record. 13 Investigates reviewed the strategic plan document and it did not mention Henderson Police Chief Latesha Watson, who has been on administrative leave since last week. RELATED: Henderson police chief placed on administrative leave, at odds with police unions However, 13 Action News has learned there's significant friction between Watson and the police department - that she was brought into reform. According to published reports, Watson believes her race and gender played a role in her administrative leave. An anonymous writer submitted written comments for the City Council to consider at Tuesday’s meeting that included allegations of racial bias and inexperienced city leadership for what happened to Watson. These comments were also being attached to the city’s four-year strategic plan that was up for acceptance on Tuesday evening but moved to another agenda for further discussion. 13 Action News has reached out to Watson for comment, but no immediate response was received. Stay with 13 Action News for continued updates on this story.<doc-sep>An independent investigator recommended Henderson officials seriously consider firing police chief LaTesha Watson, records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal show. Henderson Police Department Chief LaTesha Watson is interviewed at South Point in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. (Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco An independent investigator recommended Henderson officials seriously consider firing police chief LaTesha Watson, records obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal show. The suggestion was the result of three internal investigations and was submitted two days before the chief was placed on paid leave indefinitely. Watson did not respond to requests for comment Saturday. The investigating firm, Littler Mendelson P.C., cited several reasons, including Watson’s disregard of her supervisor’s orders, sowing mistrust and division among employees, attempting to influence employee communication and engaging in a promotion process that led employees to question whether the results had been predetermined favoritism, records show. “I believe that Chief Watson has engaged in inappropriate and ineffective leadership of HPD that is unlikely to be cured and creates vulnerability to the City,” investigator Wendy Krincek wrote. “It is unlikely that coaching will change the inappropriate and ineffective decisions and behaviors engaged in or that the City could put into place an effective mechanism to prevent the issues from reoccurring.” The city declined comment. Sworn in as chief in November 2017, Watson was brought in as an outsider and reformer after the former Henderson chief, Patrick Moers, was ousted amid a sexual harassment investigation. She came from the Arlington Police Department in Texas, where she was a deputy chief. On Thursday, the city placed Watson on paid leave without explanation, and Deputy Chief Thedrick Andres was named acting chief in her absence. Watson’s annual salary is $190,000. The chief was the subject of several investigations last year, costing the city more than $50,000. Although most of the investigations found no policy infraction, other findings revealed issues with leaders at the Henderson Police Department. Policy violations Two of the three most recent investigations into Watson’s actions found specific policy violations. In one instance, Watson was found to be in violation of the city’s performance and disciplinary actions policy for failing to follow her supervisor’s orders with regard to the process of policy changes in the department. Her supervisor, Bristol Ellington, Henderson’s deputy city manager and chief operating officer, told Watson that policy changes must be vetted by the city attorney’s office. But Watson later changed department policy unilaterally and promoted three lieutenants — including two who had been at their rank less than a year — to captain, a violation of the Police Department’s existing policy. “This is especially important because one of the issues under the prior administration impacting morale at HPD that Chief Watson was made aware of and asked to address was the widespread belief that eligibility requirements were being modified specifically to enable the prior Chief to promote individuals that were in his favor,” Krincek wrote. The department was forced to rescind the promotions, causing a ripple effect and halting the promotions of other officers and sergeants to higher ranks. Watson told Krincek that, in the past, people had been promoted against policy and nobody had a problem with it. In another investigation, Watson was found to have violated Henderson’s workplace professionalism policy by telling union leadership that what was said at executive board meetings would be reported to her. The investigation determined Watson’s conduct contributed to friction with the Henderson Police Supervisors Association. “Moreover, she appears to have absolutely no awareness that her commentary to HPSA and others that anything negative they have to say will be leaked or snitched on by coworkers is inappropriate and will create a toxic work environment because employees will mistrust each other,” Krincek wrote. Unsubstantiated claims In a third complaint, two employees alleged they were targeted by senior leadership in the department for their union activities. None of the eight claims was substantiated, but Krincek wrote that Watson’s actions and comments outlined in the report require serious action. Watson’s comments in a September 2018 meeting with union presidents were of significant concern, Krincek wrote. “They strike a combative tone with the unions and no effort to bridge any discord with the unions is evidenced,” she wrote. “Rather, Chief Watson makes inflammatory allegations that (redacted) has stated (redacted) is at war with the Chief.” Watson was told she could be charged with insubordination for refusing to provide sources for her allegation that another employee was pressuring co-workers to file complaints against her, according to the report. She also refused to provide sources for her allegation that she was referred to by a racial slur, the report states. Watson told the investigator that she did not want to violate the trust of her sources. Krincek’s report also notes inflammatory comments she made during a November meeting with command staff. “Especially inflammatory were those statements to her command staff that anyone on her command team or promoted to her command team should expect to be a ‘casualty of war’ and target of the HPSA,” she wrote. Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.<doc-sep>
Henderson officials want police Chief LaTesha Watson to voluntarily resign as the city’s top law enforcement officer on May 9, according to a separation agreement obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Henderson Police Department Chief LaTesha Watson at Southpoint hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco Henderson Police Department Chief LaTesha Watson is interviewed at Southpoint hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. (Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal) Henderson Police Department Chief LaTesha Watson, seen Nov. 7, 2018. (Erik Verduzco Las Vegas Review-Journal @Erik_Verduzco) Henderson officials want police Chief LaTesha Watson to voluntarily resign as the city’s top law enforcement officer on May 9, according to a separation agreement obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. On March 14, the chief was placed on paid leave indefinitely and given three weeks to decide whether she wants to sign the agreement, according to the document. Watson has not signed the paperwork, and it is not in effect, according to the city. A Henderson spokeswoman declined comment. Watson could not be reached for comment Tuesday. The chief also was offered a payout of more than $24,500 for paid time off in exchange for signing the agreement, which bars her from making any claims against the city. The agreement contains a non-disparagement clause that allows the city to fine her $5,000 for each violation. Two days before Watson was placed on leave, an independent investigator recommended city officials seriously consider firing her. The recommendation came after three investigations into her conduct revealed she had allegedly disregarded her supervisor’s orders, tried to influence employee communication, sowed mistrust and division among employees and engaged in a promotion process that led employees to question whether the results were predetermined, records show. Watson was sworn in as Henderson’s police chief in November 2017. She previously served as deputy chief of the Arlington Police Department in Texas. Two of the most recent investigations found Watson violated city policy by disregarding her supervisor’s orders to have the city attorney’s office vet proposed policy changes in the department. Watson later changed policy unilaterally and promoted three lieutenants to captain, including two who had been at their rank for less than a year, violating the department’s existing policy. The department was forced to rescind the promotions. Watson told the investigator that it had not been an issue when other people had been promoted against policy in the past. She was also found in violation of city policy when she told union leadership that discussions at executive board meetings would be reported to her. Watson’s conduct contributed to friction with the Henderson Police Supervisors Association, according to the investigator. “Moreover, she appears to have absolutely no awareness that her commentary to HPSA and others that anything negative they have to say will be leaked or snitched on by co-workers is inappropriate and will create a toxic work environment because employees will mistrust each other,” the investigator wrote. Last year, Watson was the subject of internal investigations that cost the city more than $50,000. In November, two Henderson police unions accused department leaders, including Watson, of trying to bust the labor groups. Deputy Chief Thedrick Andres, who is also named in the unions’ complaint, assumed the role of acting chief in Watson’s absence. Watson and Andres formerly worked together at the Arlington Police Department. She specifically hired him to work in Henderson. Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.