Silver State Times

During the week of Dec. 17, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada recognized nine different law enforcement officers and special agents — with positions ranging from the federal to the local level — for going above and beyond the call of duty in 2021. Each recipient risked their life and safety in the service of the U.S. Justice Department. Forms of outstanding service ranged from reducing violent crime to fighting human trafficking.

“Every day, law enforcement officers across Nevada risk their lives to keep our communities safe," Christopher Chiou, acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, told Silver State Times. "All too often, their extraordinary efforts go unnoticed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful to be able to work alongside our law enforcement partners and recognize performances that go above and beyond the call of duty. We thank our law enforcement partners for everything they do to maintain public safety, as well as for their outstanding work on federal matters. The U.S. Department of Justice, including our office, cannot fulfill our mission without law enforcement’s support and coordination.”

A major focus of the recognition was the officers' role in fighting human trafficking. The focus on these crimes is not exclusive to Nevada. 

"The scourge of human trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery, brutally depriving victims of basic human rights and essential physical needs as it erodes their sense of dignity and self-worth," Former Attorney General William Barr said in a 2020 release from the Justice Department. "The Department of Justice is relentless in its fight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Working with state and local law enforcement and community victim service providers, we will continue to bring these criminals to justice and deliver critical aid to survivors.”

Nevada is ninth in the nation for most human trafficking cases, reporting 199 cases in a single year, according to the UNLV Center for Crime and Justice Policy. In Nevada, sex trafficking is the most common form of trafficking, comprising 89% of trafficking cases in the state. This is higher than the national percentage of sex trafficking cases, where 71% of total trafficking cases are centered around selling sex.

Recipients of recognition from the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s office worked for the following agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Henderson Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.