Henderson police chief gets ‘no confidence’ vote from unions

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Henderson is sticking by its police chief despite a no-confidence vote from two local police unions.

KVVU-TV reports the City of Henderson said in a statement that this “does not change the City of Henderson leadership’s support for and confidence in Police Chief Thedrick Andres.”

The city manager is ultimately who appoints the police chief.

The TV station also obtained an email Andres sent to employees Thursday night urging them not to let the department become divided.

Leaders of the Henderson Police Officers Association and Henderson Police Supervisors Association told the TV station that over 80% of their combined membership of over 460 officers voted “no confidence.”

They say Andres management is too similar to predecessor LaTesha Watson, who was fired in 2019 for alleged harassment and clashes with unions.

Andres and Watson worked together in Arlington, Texas. Watson brought him on as her deputy chief.

The unions accuse Andres of not sticking by collective bargaining agreements. They also claim he enacted a new use of force policy without union input nor adequate training for officers.

In a statement, the unions called Andres an “outsider who sought to portray a new era of ‘transparency’ by refusing to discuss policies or decisions with anyone outside his inner circle.”

Chris Aguiar, president of the Henderson Police Supervisors Association, said the vote won’t alter the work ethic of rank-and-file officers.