Local Metro Hosts Meet and Greet Event

By LAURA ROBISON

The Progress

Four local Metro (LVMPD) officers hosted a meet and greet last Wednesday, July 27, in Overton at Kuppa Joe. Officers Dominic Drosos, Chris Kohntopp, Nathan Bradford and Sergeant Keegan Doty were on hand to greet customers as they came in to get their favorite beverage.

Drosos had the idea to have residents meet their local law enforcement in an informal setting to get to know them better. He said, “When you are doing a traffic stop, it’s not a good time to have a conversation.”

Drosos approached Bernie Conrique of Kuppa Joe and asked him if he would be willing to have an event there. Conrique, who is the current president of the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce, thought it was a great idea, saying, “Kuppa Joe will always support law enforcement. The more ways there are to have opportunities like this, the better it is for our valley.”

Nicole Talbot and Amber Fullmer stopped by to chat for a moment. Talbot said, “I only know a few of the officers out here, so I came to meet them and show my support for the job they do.”

Miguel Ramos said, “I’ve been here since 1962. The officers here are friendly, positive and do their job. There is no reason to be afraid of the police.”

Lois Hall came in to say hello to the officers in attendance and wanted them to know, “We love our local officers. You are so good to residents and are part of our valley.”

Sgt. Doty wanted the community to know that they do much more than traffic stops and arrests. “We have 10 resident officers and have a lot of opportunities to serve the public, including: Search and rescue – covering all the way to Gold Butte and out to Coyote Springs; community events; and respond to traffic accidents; and we do our own investigative follow-ups, DNA and fingerprint testing.” “We want everyone here, residents and visitors alike, to enjoy the freedom, safety and peace & quiet this valley has to offer, “ he concluded.