Attorney General�office and union urge commission to revisit proposed investigator classification changes

Jill Atkinson, chief human resources manager for the Office of the Attorney General, told the Nevada State Human Resources Commission that the AGoffice formally objects to proposed changes to the AG Criminal Investigator and AG Deputy Chief Investigator classifications and requested the items be removed from today meeting record so the agency's 10-page memorandum (submitted Feb. 17, 2026) can be fully considered. Atkinson said the agency submitted substantive concerns during the public posting period and asked that the commission not treat the items as uncontested.

Sean Gallagher of the Nevada Peace Officer Association backed the AG's objection and warned the commission against making the Deputy Chief Investigator an unclassified position. Gallagher said Deputy Chief Investigators serve as subject-matter experts who preserve institutional knowledge and provide a stable career path for investigators and supervisors; making the role unclassified would, he said, harm recruitment and retention and "be a detriment, a massive disservice to the citizens of Nevada." He also raised a technical concern that the meeting documents would permit Criminal Investigators to be Certificate Category 3 peace officers, who Gallagher said do not have the training for investigative work; he urged DHRM and the commission to ensure only Category 1 or 2 officers qualify for investigative duties.

A representative from the Attorney General's investigations unit, Shawn Bowen, later echoed those concerns from Carson City and asked DHRM to preserve AG-specific duties if classifications are consolidated. Bowen noted the AG Criminal Investigator specification has been updated within the past decade and suggested using it as a model for a broader, consolidated specification while retaining agency-specific language.

DHRM did not make a decision during public comment. Chair Mark Olson closed the public comment period and the commission continued with the agenda. The items referenced by Atkinson and Gallagher appear on the commission's agenda for classification proposals; DHRM has record exhibits and the agencies provided written objections on file.