Setting the Record Straight |
Clark County believes in accountability -- in fact, it is one of our Guiding Values & Principles. We believe the news media, by and large, share this value. As such, Clark County seeks corrections and clarifications of inaccurate, misleading and false information online, in print, on television and in other news media.
July 8, 2008 -- A Las Vegas Review-Journal story entitled "County Lobbyist Decision Debated" contained several errors. It inaccurately reported that the County Commission awarded a lobbying contract the previous week. In fact, the board is scheduled to consider approving the contract July 15. The story also claims that county staff made a formal recommendation and that some staff expressed their personal preference regarding which lobbying firm to hire. In fact, staff did not make such a recommendation. The story also called Sabra Smith-Newby "county counsel" when in fact she is the director of the Department of Administrative Services. Mary-Anne Miller is the county counsel.
July 3, 2008 -- A Las Vegas City Life story entitled "Clark County Hasn't Added a Parks Cop in 17 Years" contained several errors and omissions. The most glaring omission was the fact that the county has had preliminary meetings with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to discuss a plan to enhance public safety at parks. Park Police were never meant to supplant Metro and state law requires that Metro handle serious crimes in our parks. The $500,000 allocated by the county last year for additional part-time officers are not, as City Life reported, "volunteers." Contrary to the City Life report, the officers are authorized to carry guns. They provide immediate backup assistance to full-time park police officers. The officers do not, as reported, spend time to "lock the front gates to each park." Sunset Park may be the only county park with a gate.
May 12, 2008 -- A KLAS TV Channel 8 news story, "The Lost Children," featured information regarding the prevalence of abuse in foster care both nationally and in Clark County that we believe to be inaccurate and misleading. The report cites "national research" as finding that one-third of children in foster care nationally will experience abuse and goes on to suggest that the rate of abuse in foster care in Clark County is much higher. However, according to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, no more than 1 percent of the children in foster care were abused in any state in 2006, and in a report published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Family, less than 0.30 percent of children in foster care in Nevada were maltreated. While any and all instances of abuse are inexcusable, we believe the considerable difference between 33 percent and less than 1 percent creates a gross misrepresentation of foster parents as being abusive, especially in Clark County, and furthermore causes unwarranted anxiety for parents with children who need to enter foster care while their families work to address the issues affecting their well-being. The Clark County Department of Family Services values and appreciates the many families who have opened their homes to children in need and those who partner with us to protect children by building safe, nurturing and stable families.
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