Ex-Henderson police volunteer believes speaking up in meetings got her fired
A longtime volunteer for the Henderson Police Department said she believes she was dismissed last week due to comments she made during a string of recent Henderson City Council meetings.
Amanda Swartz, who joined the police department in 2020 as a crime analysis and investigative services volunteer, was informed via phone call April 14 that her position had been eliminated. She was not given the reason for her dismissal and ultimately packed her belongings and turned in her badge before leaving the department’s West Community Police Station in Green Valley, she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“I cried for a while, and then I realized, OK, I just need to pack my stuff up,” Swartz said during a phone interview Thursday.
Swartz said she initially volunteered at the Henderson Detention Center, but her expertise as a former fraud investigator soon found value elsewhere within the department. On some days, she was reviewing ballistics and firearms information, and on others she was fielding phone calls from the public.
“I just loved what I did,” Swartz, 45, said. “At this stage of my life, I wanted to serve the community.”
Swartz told the Review-Journal she believes her firing stemmed from comments made at several recent City Council meetings criticizing officials for what she purports has been a lack of transparency surrounding the March 6 firing of former Police Chief Hollie Chadwick. Before her ouster, on Feb. 13, Chadwick had been put on leave and told to take a buyout or be fired, the Review-Journal previously reported, citing sources.
“I do believe my termination was retaliation for speaking up at City Council meetings,” Swartz said. “I spoke up about concerns that I think a lot of constituents might have.”
Henderson police confirm Swartz’s dismissal
Chadwick was placed on leave Feb. 13 and was ousted after City Manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause lost confidence in Chadwick’s ability to improve the department’s culture and operations, rather than a specific finding of misconduct or cause, according to a memo sent to Henderson Police Department employees at the time of Chadwick’s firing.
A Henderson police spokesperson in a statement to the Review-Journal confirmed Swartz’s dismissal and thanked Swartz for the time she contributed. Either a volunteer or the city can choose to end a person’s volunteer service “at any time or without cause or advance notice,” according to the statement.
The spokesperson did not state a reason for Swartz’s departure.
“The City of Henderson appreciates the more than 2,400 volunteers whose dedication has positively impacted our community,” the emailed statement read. “Roles are based on need and determined by the City.”
While dozens voiced similar complaints at a March 4 city council meeting, Swartz continued to press officials for answers at other public meetings. She appeared at City Council meetings and addressed officials during the public comment portion on four occasions: Feb. 18, March 18, April 1 and April 15. Swartz did not attend the March 4 meeting due to a personal matter, she said.
In multiple public comment appearances, Swartz disclosed to council members her volunteer status but emphasized to the Review-Journal she was speaking as a resident, and not a representative for the department.
“Where is the transparency from most of you? We’re hearing nothing but silence,” Swartz told city officials during their April 1 meeting. “Where’s the truth? Nothing but silence. I believe a good number of almost every officials’ constituents here are fed up. We’re tired of your lack of actions and no answers. I encourage you to not forget those who voted you in and those who voted you out.”
City manager: ‘Some things you can’t talk about’
Garcia-Vause and other city officials have since declined to answer questions related to Chadwick’s firing, citing a city policy not to discuss personnel issues.
“Not everyone is going to be happy with decisions, and I understand that and I expect that to happen,” Garcia-Vause said during an April 9 interview with the Review-Journal to announce the city was accepting applications for a new police chief. “We’re always trying to engage our community, and we have a very active community. But with personnel issues, there are some things you can’t talk about.”
Swartz said she understands that officials are limited about what they can talk about in respect to personnel decisions, but feels Police Department employees and Henderson residents should have more insight into why Chadwick didn’t align with the city’s mission and what officials are looking for in the next chief.
“(Chadwick) was an at-will employee, yes, but was it a conflict of personalities?” Swartz said. “What was it that didn’t align with her (Garcia-Vause’s) vision, and was there an attempt to come, possibly, to an understanding?”
Swartz during several of those City Council meetings also expressed disappointment in Garcia-Vause for firing Chadwick. Swartz additionally claimed to the Review-Journal she was told by a supervisor that Garcia-Vause initiated her departure — but the city did not respond to a request for comment responding to Swartz’s claim.
The departure came as a surprise to Swartz, she said, because she believed she was well liked by colleagues and supervisors. It’s not immediately clear what’s next for Swartz, but she told the Review-Journal she would be receptive to meeting with Garcia-Vause or other city officials to learn more about why she was let go.
“I would at least like to know what it was, if there was a performance issue,” Swartz said. “I certainly wish I would’ve had a chance to sit down with her or a representative of her department and see if we could come to an understanding, because … I played many roles and wore many hats, and I just don’t know if all of those hats are going to find new homes.”
Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.