LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — City officials are looking to keep criminals away from tourist areas after passing a new measure on Wednesday.
During the city council meeting, they passed an "order out corridor", which will affect downtown Las Vegas and the area near The STRAT. The order allows Municipal Court judges to issue the order to people convicted of crimes in those same areas instead of jail sentences. The order would be in place for up to a year. It's similar to one that Clark County passed in Aug. 2022.
However, there are some exceptions.
"The Municipal Court judges are required, under this ordinance, to speak with the defendant to determine whether they work or live within the order out corridor or need to enter the corridor for medical services, social services, religious services, public transportation of legal services," City Attorney Jeff Dorocak said.
According to the ordinance, the order out corridor would apply to 144 acres downtown, which includes many resorts and the Fremont Street Experience, as well as 67 acres, which includes The STRAT.
Captain Brandon Oris from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's Downtown Area Command said the "order out corridor" passed by the county has "been a great tool for us".
LVMPD data presented during the meeting said disorder calls for service are down in the Tourist Corridor 27%, compared to last year. People arrested on active warrants also went up 17% and property crimes are down by nearly 23%. Police said as of Tuesday, there are 1,199 subjects with an Order Out stipulation.
"We want to interrupt and disrupt crime and do it in a constitutional manner," said DPS Chief Jason Potts. "You can't change behavior without consequences."
Despite the measure unanimously passing, it could face legal trouble. On Wednesday, the Nevada branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said the ordinance could be used "against people who are homeless, street performers, and protesters, and as an excuse to conduct stop-and-frisk searches".
"The public safety rhetoric being used to promote the City of Las Vegas' proposal here is the kind of generic, typical talking points governments often use when undercutting civil liberties," said ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Athar Haseebullah. "This order out provision only shifts the people the city has decided are 'undesirable'. It's a lazy approach typical of government and ignores the constitutional safeguards used to protect people's rights."
However, police said that's not their focus and they're looking to target people who repeatedly commit crimes in the same place.
"If someone comes here and routinely causes issues in the tourist corridor, the court has the option to [implement the order]. The court looks at it on a case-by-case basis," Oris said. "The more tools we have to keep the community safe, the tourists safe, and the businesses safe, the better for our community."
City officials also looked at possible amendments to expand the order out corridor to additional parts of the city. However, those amendments were rejected. The ordinance that was approved is set to take effect on Sunday.
