Burglar hits Henderson mayor’s home
The burglar who walked into a house on the east side of Henderson one recent evening might not have known he was stealing from the leader of one of America’s safest cities.
Police said the thief, who struck while Mayor Andy Hafen was out for a walk, made away with electronics, jewelry and a gun.
The break-in — which had not previously been made public — was reported in a 911 call about 7:30 p.m. May 15. Henderson police spokeswoman Michelle French said the residents, whom she did not identify, had gone out for a walk about 6:30 p.m. and left a door unlocked.
“The residents returned home about an hour later and discovered several items missing including two iPads, an iPhone, a gun, some jewelry and a camera,” French wrote in an email.
Hafen didn’t return a call seeking comment Thursday, and police would not release a copy of their report, saying the investigation is still open.
Hafen, 61, has been on the Henderson City Council since 1987 and mayor since 2009. According to public records, he has lived in his home just west of downtown and City Hall since 1996.
Henderson has relatively little crime, with its rates of violent crime, burglary and overall property crime being lower than the national and statewide rates, according to 2013 data provided to the FBI.
Per capita, there is less than a fourth as much violent crime in Henderson as in Nevada overall.
Hafen and other city officials frequently call Henderson “one of the safest communities in America,” as the mayor put it in his State of the City address this year.
Contact Eric Hartley at ehartley@reviewjournal.com or 702-550-9229. Find him on Twitter: @ethartley.
