Sheriff agrees to invite all press to annual address, storms out of meeting with SPJLV

Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told executive board members from the Society of Professional Journalists Las Vegas that he would invite all news agencies to future State of Metro speeches.
SPJLV met with Lombardo Wednesday to discuss a letter we — along with six Nevada newsroom leaders — had sent earlier in February to share concerns that the agency had failed to invite most Nevada news agencies to the department’s annual address at the Smith Center.
Despite this concession from Clark County’s top cop, the meeting did not go well, as Lombardo angrily stormed out of the meeting just minutes later.
SPJLV had hoped to have a broad dialogue with the sheriff about access and transparency issues. Regardless, we will not stop advocating on behalf of Southern Nevada journalists and for transparency from Nevada’s largest police department.
SPJLV President Wesley Juhl said: “We had hoped to make the sheriff understand that events like ‘State of Metro’ allow journalists, and by extension the public, to engage with and understand LVMPD policies. We hope that Lombardo will honor his commitment to invite all newsrooms in the future.”