With at typical weekend on the Strip seeing up to 20,000-30,000 visitors, the majority of whom are here to party and carrying cash, crime is always going to be an occupational hazard for resort staff and law enforcement and something that every tourist needs to take seriously, in terms of being smart and careful with themselves and their belongings. Just as in any major city, particularly any tourist magnet, out-of-towners are likely to be seen as easy prey by opportunistic criminals looking to take advantage of the distracted or intoxicated stranger.
That said, things do seem to be getting worse, despite Metro's installation of an additional 37 high-powered surveillance cameras up and down Las Vegas Boulevard in the fall of 2013. Last year, we received numerous reports from readers who'd spotted "High Visibility Vehicles," a.k.a. "ghost cruisers" -- old disused cop cars used as deterrents -- positioned outside Caesars Entertainment's Strip properties, indicating that the company felt the need to up its security presence (albeit as cheaply as possible). And not a day goes by when the local headlines are dominated by news of crime, of one sort or another. Take yesterday, for example -- a typical day -- when FOX5's afternoon bulletin made for the usual depressing reading:
We tracked down what we assume to be the specific Channel 8 report you reference, part of a wider investigation by their "I-Team" and renowned investigative reporter George Knapp back in early February, which talks of "a new breed of criminal that preys on the tourism corridor" and how the Metro units who patrol the Strip ("thick with hustlers and drug peddlers") also frequently march into hotels "to disrupt and scatter the trick roll experts who are now a regular fixture in and around the nightclubs." These days, prostitution is more about robberies than sex and incidents of patrons being unwittingly drugged apparently are on the rise in the city's bars, nightspots, and strip clubs (a premise which our own anecdotal information would tend to support).
KLAS spoke with a former police chief who explained how properties that have a lot of clubs pay big bucks in their effort to keep people safe. "Some of these clubs spend up to a million dollars a year in OT to have Metro, anywhere from three to five officers, including a supervisor on duty," said retired Henderson police chief Tommy Burns, who's now a security consultant. He maintained that Metro's "Safe Strip Initiative" has put more cops on the Boulevard and helped reduce crime; on the other hand, earlier this week the Las Vegas Review-Journal described how "In an unprecedented move, the Metropolitan Police Department is asking its plain-clothed officers and detectives to work at least one two-week patrol rotation over the next few months — a quick fix for a cop shortage in the midst of a 25-percent spike in violent valley crime this year."
As of March 9, homicide totals alone had reached 34 for the year, an 89-percent surge over the same time period last year and the highest-recorded level for a decade. Sexual assaults were up to 180 cases, compared with 134 last year; the number of robberies, assaults, and batteries with a deadly weapon are also significantly up on 2015's numbers. But no one seems to have an answer as to why, although a spokesman for the Las Vegas Police Protective Association cited Metro’s decentralization last July, together with a shortage of patrol cops and a lack of jail space, as among the contributing factors. While a rebounding of the economy might be expected to reduce crime levels, evidently the opposite is true, with a new breed of sophisticated criminals, described by the cops as highly organized, relentless, and ubiquitous, seeking to prey on an increased number of visitors likely to be carrying more money than they were a few years back at the height of the Great Recession.
Against this sobering backdrop, all we can do is urge our readers to remain vigilant and not take any unnecessary risks. Prostitution is illegal in Clark County so you're just asking for trouble, one way or another, should you hook up with a hooker on the Strip, so why even take the risk when there are well-regulated and safe legal brothels "over the hump" in Pahrump? Be discreet with your wallet and keep your excess cash in a hotel safe or safety deposit box. Park in well-lit garages as close as you can to the property entrance, or valet your vehicle -- regardless of all the current controversy surrounding parking fees, it's not worth risking your life to save 10 bucks. Don't accept drinks from strangers and keep your eye on your beverage at all times, on the remote off-chance that someone might try to slip you something...
It's all common sense, but too easily forgotten in the midst of having a good time, so be smart and don't let yourself be an easy mark. For some additional peace of mind, most of the homicides and other serious, often gang-related crimes that hit the headlines, take place in the 'burbs, far away from the Strip, plus be aware that Metro's presence is far more pervasive than it may seem, thanks to the growing ranks of undercover officers and increased surveillance. But by the sound of it their resources are stretched to the max right now, so the onus is on each of us to look after ourselves so that the cops and hotel security don't have to.
