Las Vegas crime numbers decline

Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie knows the major standard used to judge police agency effectiveness: crime stats.

Gillespie proudly declared Tuesday during a news conference that Las Vegas police in 2011 reduced crime in five major categories: homicides, robberies, auto thefts, traffic fatalities and sexual assaults.

The decline in those categories at times is steep when looking at the past five years -- auto thefts have dropped 66 percent since 2006 while traffic fatalities have dropped
57 percent in the same time period.

"We have improved the quality of life here in Southern Nevada," Gillespie said.

He added the reduction in crime is following the national trend.

But Gillespie also said the fight against criminals has become increasingly difficult because of reduced department budgets in recent years.

Gillespie thanked police chiefs from other local agencies for helping his department combat crime. He also was thankful to the public for cooperating with officers.

"You're our eyes. You're our ears. You're willing participants in very difficult times that occur in your lives."

Of the crime categories highlighted, homicides were down more than 25 percent in one year, dropping to 86 in 2011 compared with 116 in 2010. Gillespie said last year's 86 slayings were the lowest number since 1990.

Several lieutenants at the news conference spoke about reductions in crime in the areas they supervise.

Homicide Lt. Ray Steiber said the department has been proactive and engaged with the community, which has helped reduce slayings.

In 2009, the department began the Domestic Violence Lethality Assessment Program. The goal was to identify domestic violence victims at risk of repeated or fatal beatings and get them professional help.

Officers who respond to domestic violence calls give victims a survey with 11 questions.

Some of the questions are: Has the aggressor ever used a weapon? Does he or she spy on you or leave threatening messages? Does he or she have a gun?

The answers help identify those at high risk. Police then urge the individuals to contact a local domestic violence advocacy group for help.

People who were directly affected by serious crime also were invited to the news conference.

Richard Portaro's 22-year-old son, Michael Portaro, was slain last year on March 30. Investigators charged the suspect nearly three months later.

Richard Portaro said police were tirelessly diligent. He remembered one detective calling him at 2 a.m. to tell him they had a lead.

Portaro said the fact that 30 fewer people died in slayings in 2011 compared with the previous year meant, "There are 30 families who don't have to go through what I went through."

There have been four slayings in 2012 as of Tuesday afternoon.

ROBBERIES REDUCED 20 PERCENT

Robberies were down 20 percent in 2011 compared with 2010.

Lt. Ron Fox couldn't point to one strategy that helped decrease robberies. He said many factors were in play.

Generally investigators are using the latest technology, and officers and detectives collaborate a lot to thwart burglaries, he said.

Fox added that many officers, including himself, are invested in the community, which makes a difference.

"I want to be proud of the fact that Las Vegas is a safe place to raise a family and have a life."

While Las Vegas police have seen annual drops in most crime categories since 2006, sexual assaults have, at times, increased.

Gillespie acknowledged as much.

But the raw numbers for sexual assaults haven't drastically increased over the past five years either.

William Sousa, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told the Review-Journal last year that sexual assaults are notoriously difficult to prevent. He said most of the investigative work is reactive instead of preventive.

TRAFFIC FATALITIES AT FIVE-YEAR LOW

Traffic fatalities also are on a downward trend.

Lt. Chris Ankeny with the department's Traffic Bureau pointed to a few reasons why the 70 vehicle-related deaths in 2011 represent a five-year low. Traffic fatalities dropped more than 15 percent in 2011 over the previous year.

Ankeny said there are more officers on the road patrolling and giving out tickets. He also said that DUI checkpoints on holidays and efforts to have DUI checkpoints in all eight command areas throughout the valley have been big deterrents. The checkpoints rotate monthly from one area command to another.

But there were many pedestrians who died after being struck by a vehicle in Las Vegas. In November, the agency had 17 pedestrian-related fatalities, compared with 20 in 2010.

The total number of pedestrian fatalities for the Metropolitan Police Department in 2011 was not released Tuesday.

Henderson and North Las Vegas police also had some high-profile pedestrian-related fatalities late last year.

Ankeny said he is proud of the reduction in car-related deaths but cautioned against complacency.

"We still have work to do," Ankeny said. "One fatal accident is one too many."

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.