The Las Vegas Roster

Jeff Jonas
Founder and chief scientist,
Systems Research and Development
After declaring bankruptcy when his startup went belly up in the early 1980s, Jonas started anew in 1983 with SRD. The company develops software used by casinos to ferret out hidden relationships between gamblers, employees and vendors. SRD’s link-finding software, called NORA and ANNA, are now being used by the government to connect the dots in its ongoing fight against terrorism.

Insiders

Tim Stanley
Chief Information Officer, Harrah’s Entertainment
Stanley is responsible for maintaining the information systems used by more than two dozen Harrah’s properties throughout the world.

Dave Shepherd
Director of Security, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Shepherd has the distinction of overseeing the largest private police force in the state of Nevada. His security and surveillance techniques are considered the best in the industry and a model for domestic security.

Jerry Keller
Vice President of Security, Wynn Resorts
Keller traded in his badge for a suit, tie and enormous pay bump when he retired from his post as Clark County Sheriff to take the top security spot at Wynn Resorts. Keller is in charge of designing and installing what many expect will be the most elaborate security system in Nevada casino history with more than 3,000 digital video cameras and recorders at Wynn’s newest resort, Le Reve, which is scheduled to open in 2005.

John Horton
Director of Security, Stardust Resort and Casino, Las Vegas
A 20-plus year Army veteran, Horton rose quickly through the casino security ranks at several Las Vegas casinos. Horton says the FBI and Homeland Defense could learn a lot from how Las Vegas casinos and law enforcement agencies electronically share lists of known criminals.

Derk Boss
Vice President of Surveillance, Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower
Boss is founder and president of the International Association of Certified Surveillance Professionals, which offers training and networking sessions for people in the surveillance field.

Ron Buono
Executive director of surveillance, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino
With over 1,400 cameras at his disposal, Buono has come a long way from the days when he watched blackjack tables from a catwalk above the casino floor.

Allies

Al Zajic
Independent casino-security analyst
Zajic has designed and implemented casino-security systems for 25-plus years. He has helped design surveillance layouts for several Las Vegas casinos.

Jerry Bussell
Chairman, Nevada Homeland Security Commission
Bussell is the point person for numerous Homeland Security projects in Nevada, including the transformation of the Nevada Test Site from a nuclear-weapons testing facility to the nation’s top anti-terrorism training center.

Capt. James Dillon
Commanding officer, Southcentral Command Center, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Dillon is in charge of the police unit that interacts most often with Las Vegas casino security chiefs.