Area Briefing, March 19-25, 2015

COLLABORATIVE CAMPAIGN TARGETS CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

The Rape Crisis Center recently announced the launch of the Enough Abuse Campaign, a grassroots movement aimed at providing residents with the knowledge and skills they need to combat child sexual abuse.

The campaign kicked off during a special meeting March 6 at the Metropolitan Police Department’s headquarters, 400 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., where Southern Nevada stakeholders discussed the effort.

Participants learned about tools, techniques and strategies to help prevent child sexual abuse; the campaign’s plans and goals; and how to become involved in changing the way Nevadans prevent and report child sexual abuse and provide treatment and services to children and parents affected by the issue.

The campaign is being conducted in collaboration with Prevent Child Abuse Nevada and is being funded by a grant from the Engelstad Family Foundation.

For more information, visit enoughabuse.org.

FLAMINGO CORRIDOR PROJECT TO SPAN EAST TO WEST ACROSS VALLEY

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and local elected officials celebrated the launch of the Flamingo Corridor Improvements project March 10 at 325 E. Flamingo Road.

Flamingo Road is a east-to-west arterial that connects commercial and residential development to the heart of the resort corridor and UNLV. The project is slated to make improvements along the 14-mile corridor between Boulder Highway and Grand Canyon Drive. Work is set to include the addition of dedicated transit/bicycle lanes, the installation of more than 100 new bus shelters, upgrades to intersections and traffic signals and improved pedestrian crossings.

The project is made possible through fuel tax revenues and state and federal funding, including a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant.

For more information, visit rtcsnv.com.

SCAMS FOR SERVICES SET TO BE TOPIC AT APRIL 1 EVENT

Health care scams are set to be discussed at 11 a.m. April 1 at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

Topics are set to include how perpetrators obtain personal information and what they do with it to charge people for services they never received; how to find out if you’ve been victimized; what legal recourse you can seek to resolve the situation; and what steps you can take to help prevent it from happening.

The free event is co-sponsored by the Better Business Bureau and is geared toward seniors.

For more information, call 702-507-3458.

SCAMMMERS SEEK PAYMENTS FOR ALLEGED UNPAID UTILITY BILLS

Small businesses should be aware of recent scams regarding alleged unpaid utility bills, according the Nevada Attorney General’s Office.

Individuals claiming to be employees of NV Energy, Southwest Gas and other utility companies call small businesses stating that their utilities will be cut off unless an immediate payment is made. The caller usually asks that the payment is made via Western Union, MoneyGram, Green Dot Card or other similar means.

The caller ID sometimes reflects that of a utility company. If the business calls the number back using the caller ID, an individual claiming to be employed by a utility company answers.

Nevada utility companies do not call customers or solicit payments by telephone, according the Nevada Attorney General’s Office.

For additional assistance, call the Federal Trade Commission at 877-382-4357 or visit ftc.gob. Those who believe they’ve been a victim of a utility scam can file a complaint with the Nevada Attorney General’s Office at ag.nv.gov/complaints/file_complaint.

FREEDOM HOUSE AIMS TO RAISE $600,000 TO MATCH PLEDGED FUNDS

Freedom House recently announced a campaign to raise $600,000 by May 1 to expand its services.

The nonprofit, 3852 Palos Verdes St., provides a structured transition from homelessness for individuals with substance abuse issues, offering housing, food assistance and recovery support services. The group is seeking to match a $600,000 pledge by the Engelstad Family Foundation.

A goal of the fundraising campaign is to provide scholarships for residents in Freedom House’s transitional programs. Another goal is to fund the organization’s food program. Also, the group aims to create the Freedom House for Veterans to offer a residential drug and alcohol treatment program for veterans.

For more information, visit freedomhousesoberliving.com.

FREE SHREDDING EVENTS PLANNED

Residents can have their documents shredded free and get rid of prescription drugs for safe disposal during a Ward 2 Shredding Party and Drug Turn-In planned from 10 a.m. to noon March 21 at the Veterans Memorial Leisure Services Center, 101 N. Pavilion Center Drive. For more information, call 702-229-1100.

Another Ward 2 Shredding Party is set from 10 a.m. to noon April 11 at Ansan Sister City Park, 7801 Ducharme Ave.

Also, a free Ward 4 Shredding Party is planned from 10 a.m. to noon March 28 at the Mountain Shadows Community Center, 9107 Del Webb Blvd. For more information, call 702-229-6405.

The limit is five boxes of documents per customer at the events.

POLICE OFFICERS TO BE HONORED AT AWARDS EVENT

The Friends of the Metropolitan Police Department Foundation’s third annual Sheriff Salutes the Best of the Badge is scheduled July 10 at Red Rock Resort, 11011 W. Charleston Blvd.

A cocktail hour and silent auction is set from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by an awards dinner from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The event allows Metro to honor officers for distinguished service.

For more information, visit lvmpdfoundation.org or call 702-539-5741.

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM SAFETY CONFERENCE PLANNED

The 22nd International Tourism Safety Conference is scheduled for April 26-29 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road.

The event is for safety and security officials in the travel and tourism industries and focuses on providing new information, trends, equipment, strategies and best practices for keeping visitors safe.

Guest speakers from Clark County and around the globe are set to offer presentations addressing the state of tourism security, global terrorism, human trafficking, workplace violence, pandemic health issues, nightclub security, community policing and more. A Tourism Oriented Policing and Protective Services certification course also is slated to be offered.

The conference’s hosts are the International Tourism Safety Association, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association.

For more information or to register for the event, visit touristsafety.org.

BOOTH TO OFFER INFORMATION ON DEALING WITH DISASTERS

An information booth dealing with disaster preparedness is scheduled to be at several locations in the next few months.

The city of Henderson Office of Emergency Management plans to man the booth from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 16 at the Galleria at Sunset mall, 1300 W. Sunset Road; from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 19 at the Henderson Events Plaza farmers market, 200 S. Water St.; and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 20 at the Henderson Pavilion farmers market, 200 S. Green Valley Parkway.

The booth is set to include information on preparing an emergency supply kit, developing a disaster-response plan and staying informed.

For more details, visit tinyurl.com/hendersonemergency or call 702-267-2272.

HOMELESS LIAISON PRESENTATION PLANNED AT MARCH SAFETY FORUM

Free safety forums on various topics are planned monthly at the Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave., through a partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Forums are fron 1-2 p.m. March 21, homeless liaison presentation; April 18, narcotics; May 16, robbery; June 20, traffic awareness; July 18, gang awareness; Aug. 15, district attorney court procedures; Sept. 19, K-9 operations; Oct. 17, missing persons; Nov. 21, Metro Volunteer Program; and Dec. 19, emergency preparedness.

The presentations are also scheduled to be live-streamed at themobmuseum.org.

For more information, call 702-229-2734.