The Nevada Taxpayers Association recently recognized the Nevada System of Higher Education for its efforts to consolidate University Police Services. NSHE was awarded the Cashman Good Government Award for consolidation of polices services at the Desert Research Institute and Truckee Meadows Community College and the University of Nevada, Reno.

Adam Garcia, assistant vice president of University Police Services, who led the overall consolidation effort, which began in July 2016, accepted the award on NSHE's behalf.

"My thanks to Chief Garcia for his tenacity in meeting the goals of the consolidation, and more importantly, surpassing the spirit of the agreement," University President Marc Johnson said. "Adam, and his department, brought together individuals who initially opposed the consolidation and skillfully, actively and appropriately created an atmosphere of inclusion, transparency and responsiveness."

The consolidation saved Nevada taxpayers more than $600,000 in its first year and is expected to save more than $4 million dollars over the next decade.

"The success of this consolidation of police services has allowed NSHE to return funding to our core mission - education of our students," -Thom Reilly, Chancellor Nevada System of Higher Education, said.

The Cashman Good Government Award was created to highlight the achievement of dollar savings along with people making innovative refinements of governmental operations and clever changes to processes and procedures that save staff and processing time.