Protesters demand Las Vegas police defunded, justice, amid racial unrest

A group of protesters is demanding a meeting with the mayor to urge authorities to defund the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department amid calls for justice and police reforms. The small group gathered in front of Las Vegas City Hall Wednesday to chant for change and issued the new demands.

IN THIS COUNTRY..TAKING A NEW TURN TONIGHT.....WITH CALLS TO DEFUND.....POLICE DEPARTMENTS...THANKS FOR JOINING US...I'M TRICIA KEAN.AND I'M..TODD QUINONES.13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER JOEBARTELS IS LIVE AT LAS VEGASCITY HALL...TO EXPLAIN THE CALLFOR CHANGE..JOE?THERE WAS A SMALL GROUP..CALLING FOR BIG CHANGES...THEY WANTED TO MEET FACE TOFACE WITH THE MAYOR..TO DEMAND..FUNDING FOR THE LAS VEGASMETROPOLITIAN POLICEDEPARTMENT..TO BE SLASHED..IT'S A IDEA..WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.NATS OF PROTESTERS FROM JOSEVIDEO NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!

ASMALL GROUP OF PROTESTERS WEREBACK AT THE STEPS OF LAS VEGASCITY HALL..CHANTING FOR CHANGE..AND MAKING NEW DEMANDS.SOTS: TAYLOCC THEENTERTAINER/PROTESTER 2:02 "WEFEEL LIKE THE POLICE NEED TO BEDEFUNDED ON THE SIMPLE FACT WEFEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT HERE TODO BUT THEIR PLEDGE TO DO WHICHIS SERVE AND PROTECT." THE GROUP WANTS..THE LAS VEGAS POLICEDEPARTMENT'S NEXT BUDGET..WHICHSTARTS JULY FIRST..AND IS CURRENTLY BETWEEN 500AND 600 MILLION DOLLARS..TAYLOCC THEENTERTAINER/PROTESTER 2:16"THEY ARE SHOOTING US AND THEYARE GETTING 600 MILLION DOLLARFUNDING JUST FOR THEM TO KILLUS OFF." ON THE PHONE STEVEGRAMMAS/PRESIDENT LVPPA :47 "IUNDERSTAND THAT FOLKS ARE UPSETWITH WHAT HAPPENED IN MINNESOTABUT CALLING FOR THE DEFUNDINGOR THE DISMANTLING OF POLICEDEPARTMENT IS ABSOLUTELYINSANE." THE LAS VEGAS POLICEPROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION..IS WORKING WITH NEVADA'SLARGEST POLICE DEPARTMENT ONCUTS..DUE TO COVID-19 ALREADY..20 MILLION DOLLARS HAVE BEENSLASHED TO SHORE UP BUDGETSWHICH HAVE PLUMMETED AMID THEPANDEMIC.SOT: ON THE PHONE STEVEGRAMMAS/PRESIDENT LVPPA 2:44"WHILE PEOPLE ARE UPSET AND IUNDERSTAND IT AS I'VE SAIDBEFORE OUR ENTIRE AGENCY ISDISTURBED BY WHAT WE SAW INMINNESOTA BUT TO TAKE IT OUT ONTHE COMMUNITY IT'LL MAKE THINGSA LOT WORSE." ACROSS THE COUNTRY CALLS TO"DEFUND THE POLICE" ON RACIALUNREST HAVE INTENSIFIED.THE IDEA-TAKING SOME GOVERNMENTFUNDS FOR POLICE ANDREDIRECTING THEM TO SOCIALPROGRAMS.LOS ANGELES ANNOUNCING MAJORCUTS TO POLICE FUNDING -SEATTLE CONSIDERING A FIFTYPERCENT REDUCTION - AND NEWIN SEATTLE...PROTESTORS HAVE SECTIONED OFFA PART OF THE CITY..CALLING IT THE CAPITOL HILLAUTONOMOUS ZONE OR CHAZ FORSHORT..PROTESTERS DO NOT WANT ANYPOLICE WITHIN THESE BLOCKS...BARRICADES HAVE BLOCKEDROADS..AND A POLICE SUBSTATION HASBEEN DEFACED AND COVERED INSIGNS....ON THE PHONE TOM COLLINS/FROMERCLARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER 1:03"WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOSTPROGRESSIVE AND WELL TRAINEDPOLICE DEPARTMENTS IN THE WHOLEUNITED STATES.THE LAS VEGAS METROPOLITANPOLICE DEPARTMENT IS BY FAR ONEOF THE BEST, HONEST AND WELLTRAINED POLICE FORCES IN THECOUNTRY." BACK IN LAS VEGAS...FORMER CLARK COUNTYCOMMISSIONER..

TOM COLLINS..IS AN UNAPOLOGETIC BACKER OFTHE BLUE..HE POINTS OUT..CLARK COUNTY..PROVIDES..THE BULK OF FUNDING FOR LASVEGAS METRO POLICE...NOT THE CITY OF LAS VEGAS..AND FUNDING FOR SOCIALPROGRAMS..COMES LARGELY FROM THESTATE...PROTESTERS SAY THEY PLAN TO BEBACK OUT THERE EVERYDAYUNTIL THEY GET THE CHANGES THEYARE ASKING FOR..REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWS.NEW AT 11..