This has been one of our most frequently asked questions, so we approached the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for the definitive answer. This is what they had to say:
The giving-out of handbills on and around the Strip represents an ongoing problem for a number of reasons, not least of which is the amount of litter it generates, especially when there's a big convention in town and the attendees are being targeted. However, the fundamental fact remains that the purveyors of these fliers and magazines are acting within their constitutional rights: They have a right to be on public property and, under the terms of freedom of speech, they also have a right to hand out those leaflets. Of course, the people you encounter on the Strip are not the ones behind the handbills and the businesses they're advertising, and those who are behind it are well-versed in exactly how far they can go, in terms of visual and verbal explicitness, without breaking the law. And let's face it, although you and your family probably aren’t interested in anything they have to offer, a lot of people come to Las Vegas specifically to partake of the services they provide, so for every thousand people who decline the fliers, there are still enough who willingly accept them and take advantage of the services offered to ensure the process remains viable for the purveyors.
The only times that Metro can get involved are if these activities start impeding the flow of traffic or if physical force is used against a member of the public, either by shoving them or by foisting materials on them that they have expressly declined. But even then it's difficult to do anything. An officer can only arrest someone for a misdemeanor (which this constitutes) if he or another officer (like the Strip bike patrol) personally witnesses it. Without being present, all the cop’s legally allowed to do is write a report or cite the person responsible.
And it works both ways: Metro also regularly gets called by the handbill distributors, complaining that a member of the public has become aggressive toward them -- so don't let your temper get the better of you or you may find that it's you who's getting cited.
Unfortunately, all you can really do is ignore these pamphleteers. When you shake your head no or walk right by, they'll almost always turn their attention in another direction.
