LAS VEGAS -- A shakeup at the top of the Clark County School District Police has the superintendent talking with officers face to face. This comes after the 8 News NOW I-Team exposed a coverup involving Police Chief Phil Arroyo. In the wake of the story, Arroyo resigned.
Superintendent Dwight Jones held a short meeting at the school police headquarters, discussing recent attention by the I-Team.
Officially, Chief Arroyo resigned. But as the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI were closing in, Arroyo was effectively fired. This comes after allegations Arroyo covered up circumstances leading to the death of a local college student.
I-Team: Underage DUI Suspect Allegedly Drank with Police Before Fatal Accident
UNLV grad student Angela Petersen was killed in late 2009 after 18-year-old Kevin Miranda blew through a red light. Miranda was drunk and admitted having several shots at a party hosted by a CCSD police dispatcher.
Sources say school police supervisors began a coverup of the party where Miranda was drinking with several school police officers. Chief Arroyo denied those reports, until he resigned last week. The department is now being led by Acting-Chief James Ketsaa.
"I don't think it's a trouble department. I think what it says is we ought to pay attention. If three chiefs have exited, we ought to pay attention to why did they exit and we ought to use that in try to make the decisions and say in the next chief, we want the chief to be here for a long time," said Superintendent Jones.
A nationwide search for a new chief is now beginning.
Jones says he told Chief Arroyo he wanted to go in a new direction. Arroyo then immediately handed in his resignation.
The superintendent says the meeting was short, with only three questions asked from the group. One asked how they can improve the departments reputation in the community. The district realizes they have some work to do.
The school police department has seen three chiefs leave under questionable circumstances since 2005.
Angela Peterson
