Preparedness night focuses on residents preventing crime

The northwest area may be one of the safest neighborhoods in the Las Vegas Valley, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, but there are still plenty of things residents can do to create a safer community.

That was the focus of a Crime Prevention and Preparedness Night hosted by Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo and Mayor Pro Tem and Ward 6 Las Vegas City Councilman Steve Ross on Jan. 27 at the Centennial Hills Community Center YMCA, 6601 N. Buffalo Drive.

"The good thing is that crime is flat in the northwest area, but we still need to help one another in the community," Ross said. "We all need to know what's going on out there."

Among those in attendance were officers from Metro, the Las Vegas City Marshals Office, Community Emergency Response Teams training, the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Department and Nevada Child Seekers.

Representatives from the Northwest Area Command were also present to talk about crime in the area, which serves a resident population of approximately 370,000 people.

Metro Capt. Richard Fletcher said he has a total of 102 police officers patrolling the area seven days a week in shifts, which equate to roughly more than 20 police officers out at a time.

Northwest community members were urged to get to know their neighbors and more importantly, "If you see something, do something."

Neighbors were also advised to create a Neighborhood Watch program.

Neighborhood Watch is a nationwide program of mutual assistance among neighbors aimed at reducing crime and promoting safe communities. It involves getting to know your neighbors and working with them to look out for one another's safety.

As the name implies, it's a group of people who see the subtle and not-so-subtle changes of their neighborhood. They observe and report violations of ordinances and laws to the proper law enforcement agencies.

A manageable Neighborhood Watch group involves 10 to 30 homes that are near one another and allow for familiarity, according to Kathy Cassell, crime prevention specialist with Metro.

Currently, there are about 800 block captains participating in the program in the northwest area.

"We track crime in the northwest-area communities, and we notice that of all of the crime committed, roughly 9 percent of crime, or less, occurs in the areas with the Neighborhood Watch program," Cassell said.

People were also advised not to leave their garage door openers in plain sight for criminals to find. If a criminal breaks into a vehicle and steals a garage door opener and the owner's information off of their registration, then he is able to locate the address of the vehicle owner and break into the home, knowing the victim is not there.

Metro suggests blacking out your residential address on registrations and keeping your garage door opener in a "not easy to find" location if it is kept in the car.

Burglars have also been known to knock at random houses to find out if people are home. Metro urges people to always give a verbal response to any knock. People should avoid giving the impression that the home is unoccupied, as it may be a ploy of the home invader or a burglar to decide if someone is home or not.

"I'm not saying you have to be polite. It's OK to be blunt and simply say, 'Go away,' " Fletcher said.

Metro has also tackled the recent rise of squatters in the area.

Last year on Oct. 1, Assembly Bill 386 was approved, making it a criminal offense for squatters to re-enter a home after being removed.

In areas with predominant squatters, surrounding neighbors have given voice to numerous complaints.

Residents are encouraged to call Metro and report suspicious activity instead of investigating it on their own.

Perhaps the biggest crime trend in the northwest valley is burglars breaking into houses to steal guns.

Realtor Craig Thornton has noticed the problem specifically in the Summerlin-northwest area.

"There have been a lot of car thefts and burglaries in this part of town," Thornton said. "We've noticed that a lot of crimes that occur are done by people who live out of the area. I think Metro is doing the best they can to help prevent crime, but their hands are tied. The community really needs to come together to tackle the problem."

Several recent incidents of home burglary have resulted in the theft of firearms from the home, Fletcher confirmed.

Stolen firearms are most often sold or traded on the street, and many leave the state.

To prevent this, people are urged to secure their firearms and keep accurate records of the weapons owned, as it can help expedite identifying what weapons were stolen and help with the investigative process.

In addition, people were recommended to check their smoke alarms. If a smoke alarm is 10 years or older, it no longer works and needs to be replaced and recycled as electronic waste. Officials said that, on average, people have two minutes to evacuate a building whose alarm is going off, so an escape plan should be created before the need arises.

Lastly, Las Vegas residents were encouraged to download the city of Las Vegas phone application on their smartphone, which allows users to submit requests for services, such as graffiti removal, access downtown Las Vegas parking, find mobile food vendors and access city news and updates.

What is the best way to prevent crime?

"Have a dog inside the house and also get to know your neighbors and don't overshare on social media," Fletcher said.

Contact the Northwest Area Command at 702-828-4305.

— To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy