In a twist, Laughlin Constable Ross sees something new: a challenger

Longtime Laughlin Constable Jordan Ross is facing an aggressive challenged from Metropolitan Police Department Detective Cliff Byley.

Since winning the constable’s seat in 2010, Ross, 65, has run unopposed in the 2014 and 2018 elections. But Byley says he sees an opportunity to step in and provide more service.

“I was talking with some people in Laughlin as a detective and they needed services that the constable couldn’t do,” Byley said. “The people of Laughlin deserve a full office versus a partial one. This is my home and people need more service.”

The constable oversees evictions, as well as serves court papers, conducts property seizures and public auctions.

Byley, a U.S. Army vet, notes that he holds a Category 1 certificate from Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST), but Ross does not. (In rural areas, constables are not required to obtain POST certification.) Byley says that certification includes training in how to avoid racial profiling, dealing with people experiencing mental illness, recognizing implicit bias and de-escalating tense situations.

“The reason he’s able to hold office is because of the low population,” Byley said of Ross. “Due to the low population, the POST certification is not necessary.”

But Ross notes that POST certification doesn’t confer additional powers that he doesn’t already have. “A constable with a POST certificate has precisely the same police officer power as a constable without one,” Ross said, allowing that he’s going to look at becoming certified next year.

Ross says Byley has worked in the public sector for his whole career, and can do his current job, but may not have the skills to head up an agency like the Laughlin constable’s office. Ross doesn’t see his office as another law enforcement agency, because they do civil law enforcement.

“Civil enforcement says, ‘We want to discourage the behavior, but we don’t necessarily want to put people in jail’,” Ross said. “And I think this is where we have a problem that needs to be addressed.”

Byley says the constable should handle duties in addition to handling evictions. He’s noticed a growing need to help landlords in Laughlin.

“People need a sense of calm versus just kicking them to the curb,” Byley said. “By speaking to the residents, I’ve gotten a lot of support, including key people like the Bilbray family.”

Ross says being an advocate in Laughlin has allowed him to see that the town would benefit from more than just evicting people.

“I’d like to see legislation encouraged and make it easier to create non-profit real estate developers,” Ross said. “ This could create an entity that will address the needs of affordable housing.”

Ross admits that he can only advocate, but he has spoken to the community and worked as the constable for over a decade. He brought up the housing issue, and while new homes are being built, they may be out of reach for residents.

“All those homes are all single family homes and you can’t touch them for less than $300,000,” Ross said. “I couldn’t afford to buy one of those houses. I’m particularly concerned about seniors.” Those seniors, he said, are trying to start new careers, return to work while on a fixed income and struggle with the rising cost of health care.

Byley has been in law enforcement for more than decades, and said he aims to end every interaction in a peaceful manner.

“To serve people for the better, people need to know what the constable’s office can do for them,” Byley said. He said he hopes to better educate the public to better serve the community.

Byley would also like to create a VIN inspection service to tow more stolen cars and do registration enforcement on cars for people who move to Laughlin but haven’t re-registered their cars.

In Laughlin, there was no primary election due to a third candidate dropping out of the race.

Contact Jimmy Romo at jromo@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0350. Follow @jimi_writes on Twitter.