Domestic disturbance calls rise in wake of stay-at-home directive

Las Vegas police saw domestic disturbance calls rise dramatically in the weeks after the emergency directives to stay at home were ordered, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Friday.

During a news conference at Metropolitan Police Department headquarters, Lombardo said while the rates for violent crimes and burglaries sank, domestic violence and disturbance calls climbed.

He said Metro tracked about 500 more of those types of calls since Gov. Steve Sisolak ordered residents to stay home in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The calls accounted for a 13 percent increase as of April 11.

The sheriff, along with others in law enforcement, warned at the beginning of the emergency directives that Las Vegas and other communities could experience a rise in domestic calls.

Violent crime overall is down 27 percent, Lombardo said.

Las Vegas Valley residents also called the police with complaints about others not social distancing about 800 times during that period.

The agency gave 205 warnings and suspended two businesses, police said. At least two criminal citations were given.

Contact Dalton LaFerney at dlaferney@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0288. Follow @daltonlaferney on Twitter.