LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Combatting crime on the Las Vegas Strip — it’s something the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department does every day, but attention to the problem has increased.
Police, resorts, residents and even tourists are aware.
Today, Metro addressed the problems and the progress they are making at the Clark County Commission meeting.
“In our tourist corridor, we are seeing an increase in violent crime,” Metro Capt. Dori Koren said. “We have put a lot more resources in place thanks to the sheriff’s support.”
Koren said arrests for violent crimes is up 16%.
“In September, just last month, 340 gross misdemeanor or felony arrests — certainly that does reveal an issue. But it also shows we are trying our best to address that issue,” Koren said.
“We are noticing that a good portion of our crime in the tourist corridor is occuring because of out-of-state visitors,” Koren said.
A concern is the economic implications of the crime. If it escalates out of control, it could hurt tourism.
Mark Hizon, who is visiting Las Vegas from Minnesota, said, “I heard that a couple of the hotels, Wynn tightening up security.”
Some heard of the issues before arriving to Vegas, but many say they still feel safe with extra security.
“Everywhere you go there is going to be an issue, you just have to be careful and watch yourself,” siad Madeline Suttles, who is visiting from Connecticut.
Koren shared Strip crime statistics.
Sexual assaults are down 36%, robberies down 6%, but violent crime is up.
Recently, “Operation Top Gun” set a goal of recovering 30 guns in 30 days.
“The officers have worked hard in that 30 day period and they recovered 63 illegal guns more than double the goal,” Koren said.
Now, “Operation Persistent Pressure” is under way. In the Strip area, 1,500 arrests have been made in the past few months.
Koren says the increase in arrests shows progress. Koren says crime over the past 28 days is down on the Strip in comparison with the previous 28 days.
