The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation & The Gratitude Project host:
The Seventh Annual Hidden Heroes Black & White Gala
Honoring Air Support / Search and Rescue
Friday, April 12, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
Celebrating the Heroes Behind the Badge
The Hidden Heroes Black & White Gala celebrates and recognizes unsung heroes at LVMPD who work to keep us safe every day and are committed to our community.
Inspiration for the Hidden Heroes Black & White Gala stems from the heroic acts of 1 October and the crucial role played by the investigative unit that reviewed the harrowing bodycam footage for the Criminal Investigative Report on the 1 October Mass Shooting. Since 2018, in partnership with The Gratitude Project, the Foundation has been honoring department sections and units that play integral roles in law enforcement but are not traditionally in the spotlight. The Gala’s “Black & White” theme is a nod to the color scheme of Metro’s squad cars. Proceeds from the Gala support the Foundation’s mission to provide Metro with the strongest platforms for public safety, including training, equipment and technology, and community engagement events.
This public awareness initiative pushes the needle forward as we continue our work to strengthen the relationships between LVMPD and the community. By recognizing and highlighting the diversity in the department and the importance that diverse perspectives bring to our community, we become VEGAS STRONG.
2024 Hidden Heroes Gala Sponsors
The Foundation is continually grateful for our community of sponsors and for their dedication to community safety.
Contributions by these civic-minded businesses enable the Foundation and LVMPD officers to better protect our communities and reduce crime across Clark County. These investments in LVMPD’s specialized equipment, training and community safety outreach initiatives make a positive impact every day in Southern Nevada and within the LVMPD family.
DIAMOND SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSOR
Hidden Heroes Through the Years
2024 Hidden Heroes
LVMPD Air Support / Search & Rescue
Celebrate the contributions of the units who provide aerial and ground assistance during emergencies, from natural disasters to medical emergencies, locating missing persons, aiding criminal pursuits, and ensuring swift response to crises. They do their job regardless of dangerous circumstances and often without recognition.
2023 Hidden Heroes
LVMPD Events Planning Section (EPS)
When a gathering is designated as a Major Event, the Events Planning Section (EPS) will lead the development, exercising, and implementation of an operational plan for the event to ensure a safe and secure environment for the general public. In addition, the EPS works with local and federal agencies to secure additional funding, manpower, equipment, and resources needed to keep our community safe during major events. The EPS also conducts year-round multi-agency training operations to ensure all Southern Nevada first responders are prepared to work in harmony in the event of an emergency. Though their work is unseen, these Hidden Heroes keep our economy thriving as they protect millions of visitors and hundreds of events each year.
2022 Hidden Heroes
LVMPD Fusion Watch
LVMPD’s Fusion Watch is a 24/7 real-time crime center situated in the LVMPD Fusion Center known as the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center (SNCTC). Fusion Watch is a virtual crime-fighting unit that is responsible for the development and deployment of advanced technologies to prevent crime and terrorism in real-time across the Las Vegas Valley, and beyond. Staffed with both highly trained civilian specialists and officers, Fusion Watch operates under the mantra that one officer behind a keyboard can be equivalent to three or more officers on the street by solving crimes and giving police on the streets a real-world advantage in their virtual setting.
Fusion Watch is responsible for proactive police work and patrol overwatch via their network of 600+ public safety cameras, gunshot detection known as ShotSpotter, automated license plate reader detections and investigations, facial recognition investigations, drone monitoring, and enforcement, house arrest monitoring, tactical workups, and intelligence gathering, suspicious activity report vetting and dissemination, and much more. Fusion Watch personnel regularly help prevent and fight crime on a regular basis and keep our officers and citizens safe, to include violent crimes like homicides, sexual assaults, robberies, and lower-level misdemeanor crimes alike.
While the hard work of Fusion Watch breeds great success that has a tremendously positive impact on public safety, their personnel do not seek any recognition for their efforts. On the contrary, they operate virtually and hidden from the public with a burning passion to simply combat crime and keep Las Vegas safe. For these reasons, we celebrate Fusion Watch personnel for their great service to our community as hidden heroes.
2021 Hidden Heroes
LVMPD Criminalistics Bureau
In 2021 the Foundation, the Gratitude Project, and supporters honored the Criminalistics Bureau and more than one hundred professionals who perform scientific tests or techniques to detect crime. The bureau includes Crime Scene Investigations, the Evidence Vault, and the Forensic Lab. Previous honorees included the Redaction Bureau for their work on 1 Oct, the Communications Bureau and the K-9 Section.