I, Dale Repp, would be honored to serve the Laughlin community as your Justice of the Peace. When elected, I will protect the community by making people who commit crimes accountable for their actions. I will be fair and consistent within my powers. I believe that a tough justice system is critical in protecting our vulnerable citizens and keeping the community of Laughlin safe and peaceful. I promise to serve, with this my highest intention. I am invested in this community and excited to serve the Laughlin Township when elected. I look forward to enjoying and positively contributing to this community that my family and I call home.
MY BACKGROUND
During my 24 year career as a Corrections officer I was responsible for all the daily activities in the Clark County Detention Center which included the supervision, security, and safety of all inmates and civilians. The CCDC has an inmate population of 3,000 and hundreds of civilians and employees. I spent 6 years working in the Field Services Division which included transporting inmates to court. Throughout my 6 years I became knowledgeable of the court room procedures. This included everything from arraignments to trials. I spent approximately 8 years on S.E.R.T. which is an emergency response team within CCDC. I transferred to Laughlin in 2016. Durning this time I worked with the Laughlin court on releases and court appearances. I worked as a resident Corrections Officer for 5 years before retiring in 2021 from LVMPD.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
I have been an active member of the Laughlin community since 2016. I am a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 12690, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church volunteering to assist members of our community. I am also active at the American Legion Post 60 with the Sons of American Legion and the American Legion Riders Nevada Chapter.
EVENTS
First, I want thank the American Legion for the use of their facility. I also want to Thank you all for attending. It means a lot to have your support. Introduction: I want to introduce you all to my lovely high school sweetheart and wife Chanda. She is not only my wife, she is my best friend. We have been married for 30 short years. Before retiring from Valley View Hospital in Ft. Mohave in 2021, Chanda had a long 30 year career working as an RN. We moved to the Laughlin community in 2016. We love calling Laughlin home. Chanda and I have been blessed with a solid friend group we call family. Thanks guys for your support! Chanda and I are proud parents of three sons, two of which are getting married this year. All three are officers of the LVMPD. They frequently visit Laughlin and I wouldn’t be surprised if they relocate to Laughlin some day. Chanda and I are both active in the American Legion. We are both in the Riders Club, Chanda was appointed secretary. I am also a member of the sons and Chanda is in the Axillary. We attend St Johns Catholic church, where I am a member of the Knights of Columbus. My career started with LVMPD in 1996 as a correction officer. I retired in 2021, after 24 and half years. The last 5 years I was a resident officer here in Laughlin and I have come to love the community and all the outdoor activities to do. During my career I worked in various assignments , but the six years spent in the field service division which meant I primarily worked in the court rooms. This gave me the most valuable experience and knowledge for the position of Justice of the Peace. I worked along side Judges and attorneys daily on everything from arraignments to trials, which has given me great knowledge of the court room procedures. When I worked in Laughlin I also worked with the Judge and court room staff. During those five years I developed a good rapport with all staff members. I feel this would make it an easy transition when elected as your Justice of the Peace. I am running for the position of Justice of the Peace for you and everyone that lives or visits the Laughlin Community. I want to make it a safe place to live and visit for years to come. We have no plans of ever leaving Laughlin. Chanda and I are actually adding onto our house in preparation for grandchildren someday. One way to keep our community safe is with a tough Justice system. I know police officers are the first line of defense, but if there is not a strong judge to complete the process, it becomes a revolving door for criminals. Your Judge needs to be someone that is committed and invested in this community, and also have working knowledge of court room procedures.
My first priority when elected would be to eliminate repeat offenders. I believe the only way to stop repeat offenders is having a firm judge. If criminals know I, as Judge, would hold them accountable for there crimes the first time, not their fourth or fifth, they would be less likely to commit them over and over again. While working in the court room with inmates it was obvious every inmate knew which judges had the reputation of being easy on them. They appeared happy to attend court when assigned these Judges. However, when assigned the Judges with the firm hand reputation, they had a total different demeanor. I know I can’t stop criminals from committing crimes, but maybe I can stop them from returning to our community and continuing to commit crimes over and over. Tourism is the life line of our community. To ensure our visitors keep coming back, they must feel comfortable and safe. One example: If a person is sentenced to what’s called “weekenders”, they are sentenced to serve their time every weekend until all time is served. In the past weekenders were allowed to show up at the jail whenever it was convenient for them, not when they were sentenced to. They would show up one weekend then no show for two or three weeks because it wasn’t convenient for them. This only creates repeat offenders because they are in charge of the justice system at this point. I know I’ve been talking a lot about the criminal side of the justice system. I also know as Justice of the Peace there will be more personal issues such as civil suits and restraining orders. I know these types of cases need to be handled in a different manor. I think the best approach is with an open mind and good old common sense. With this in mind, I feel I will make fair and just decisions as your judge. I feel one of the biggest challenges when elected will be dealing with illegal drug use cases. Drug use leads to an increase in crime. There has to be a better use of drug court and treatment programs. This will prevent more crimes down the road. With drug court, there has to be more drug testing and accountability. Following through with the court orders is a must! I feel the Drug Treatment Programs must be a tool the your Judge should utilize more often, with consequence if violated. I know over crowding in the Las Vegas detention center in always an issue. Some of you may not be aware that the Laughlin jail is just a temporary holding facility. Tucker Holding can only hold an inmate up to 72 hours. If their case is not resolved within the 72 hour time frame, they are required to be transported to CCDC, located in Las Vegas. I do not believe that the number of arrests in Laughlin plays a big role in the over crowding in CCDC. I would never allow criminals out because of overcrowding, this only gives them so called power over the justice system, and once again creates repeat offenders.
After working over 24 years with LVMPD and dealing with various agencies during the booking process, I have earned total respect for all law enforcement. I know as your Justice of the Peace, I have to be available 24/7 if needed by Law enforcement agencies for things like search warrants. This is why you need your Judge to be a full time Laughlin resident. MISSION STATEMENT Outlying Justice Courts foster common law to serve as the peoples courts. We are in pursuit of improvements to the service of justice that we provide for our communities. Taking into consideration the changing landscape of the outlying courts; we are committed to dispense justice, resolve disputes and preside over the courts functions with ethical treatment of our constituents. In closing I, Dale Repp, would be honored to serve the Laughlin community as your Justice of the Peace. When elected, I would protect the community by making people who commit crimes accountable for their actions. I will be fair and consistent within my powers. I believe that a tough justice system is critical in protecting our vulnerable citizens and keeping the community of Laughlin safe and peaceful. I promise to serve, with this my highest intention. I am invested in this community and excited to serve the Laughlin Township when elected. I look forward to enjoying and positively contributing to this community that my family and I call home.
