Henderson sees uptick in violent crime, police chief says

Despite an overall downward trend in crime this year, Henderson has seen an uptick in violent crime, particularly aggravated assaults with multiple victims, Henderson Police Chief Thedrick Andres said in a statement.

Andres addressed two recent homicides, one of which took place on Thanksgiving Day, in the prepared video statement released Thursday.

“Violent crime has been on the rise in several cities across the country and mainly contributed to individuals solving their disputes with firearms,” he said. “Law enforcement leaders have attributed these increases in violent crime to pandemic-related stress in many communities.”

Andres said his goal is to make Henderson the safest city in the country, and he doesn’t want these recent incidents to make people feel unsafe.

“These terrible and senseless incidents were random acts that could not have been predicted, nor likely prevented, by the Henderson Police Department,” he said.

Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter.