Violent Crime Down on Las Vegas Strip, Police Captain Claims

Posted on: June 27, 2021, 01:18h. 

Last updated on: June 28, 2021, 04:52h.

Larry Henry Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

Violent crime on the Las Vegas Strip has declined by double digits in the last month, according to police Capt. Dori Koren. This statement came days before one man was killed at an off-Strip bar on Sunday and another was wounded at the Sahara Las Vegas on the resort corridor.

In a tweet he posted June 25, Koren said reported crime on the resort corridor has gone down by 11 percent over the past month. He added that there have been no shootings or stabbings on the Strip in two months. His Twitter feed did not provide statistics or other details to support the percentage he cited.

Koren identifies himself on Twitter as the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department captain “for the Las Vegas Strip.” The combined city-county police department, known locally as Metro, handles calls throughout Clark County. Las Vegas is in Clark County. The largest resorts on the Strip are outside Las Vegas city limits.  

Koren’s comment came in response to a tweet from a social media user identified as “Networkinvegas.” That tweet on June 23 showed a video of what “Networkinvegas” said was an assault outside Planet Hollywood Las Vegas. Planet Hollywood is a resort on the east aside of the Strip at the former site of the Mob-connected Aladdin Casino.

This activity is still a nightly event on the Strip that is ignored by our media and politicians,” the tweet from “Networkinvegas” states.

Responding to that tweet, a social media user identified as “Shannon Keever” asked of the police captain, “Do you have frequent patrols at Planet Hollywood?  This area seems to be a hot spot for crime.”

“Yes,” Koren replied on Twitter. “Between us & their security, we try to focus on that area, especially on the weekends. We’ve also made a lot of progress lately. Violent crime on the Strip is down 11% in past month & no shootings or stabbings since we started our last (operation) 2 months ago. We’ll keep at it, though.”

Firearms Confiscated

For several weeks, Koren has tweeted pictures of weapons and illegal narcotics that police have confiscated on or near the Strip. These confiscated weapons include a gold-plated AK-47 rifle and numerous handguns. In recent months, Koren tweeted that these confiscations are part of what he called “Operation Persistent Pressure II.” 

Last year, with a surge in violent incidents on the Strip and other tourist areas, Metro launched a crime-suppression effort the department labeled “Operation Persistent Pressure.” That effort took place on Friday and Saturday nights from Sept. 18 to Dec. 20. It resulted in the arrest of 1,229 people. The Nevada Highway Patrol assisted in the effort.

Shooting Death Sunday

On Sunday, police were investigating a shooting death inside PT’s Place at Decatur Boulevard near Charleston Boulevard, according media accounts. That area is west of the Strip. The shooting occurred about 3 am on Sunday. A suspect was not immediately arrested.

Also Sunday, a man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the torso in a shooting at the Sahara on the northeast end of the Strip. A suspect had not been identified by Sunday evening, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Also, police have arrested at least two sex trafficking suspects on the Strip in recent weeks. These arrests include an incident in early June involving a 25-year-old California man who threatened to choke an undercover officer to “assert dominance” over her, police said.