LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Concerns in the northwest Las Vegas valley over violent crimes, car thefts, and street racing were issues brought up during the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Town Hall.
Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill and other city officials acknowledged that there needs to be more of a police presence in the area on Tuesday night.
“There’s been so much theft up here, whether it’s package theft, car theft, or people getting held up in parking lots,” Teresa Willson said.
She has lived in the northwest for over a decade and while she has seen tremendous growth within her community, with growth comes some unwanted activity.
Clark County Sheriff, Kevin Mcmahill spoke about the most prevalent crimes in the area.
Property crimes were at the top of the list.
“The one area of crime we are not doing all that well in is auto theft,” he said. “The Kia Hyundai challenge on TikTok has really contributed to the thefts of those vehicles being taken,” Sheriff Mcmahill added.
Along with chronic racing in the northwest valley, the city and police announced they will open a new police substation on Hualapai Way and Grand Teton Drive.
“Right now, officers who work out of the Northwest sub station drive all the way up to the mountain and Skye Canyon,” McMahill shared with 8 News Now. “We’ve come up with a plan to do a half-sized area command, still full service and it will relieve some of the burden on the other area command we have now.”
With the newly announced substation in the works, the goal will be to place smaller area commands in communities all across the valley moving forward to have more of a visible police presence.
Residents such as Noel Benoit, who spoke with 8 News Now said they would be happy to see it.
“I think more police is good as long as they are involved in the neighborhood and not just when bad things happen,” Noel Benoit shared.
Sheriff McMahill added that the new substation will open sometime in the middle of 2024.
