LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — An effort to combat crime in Las Vegas’ Chinatown has been making waves and after a string of burglaries this past summer, Metro police say they plan to take even more action to improve safety in the area.
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Channel 13 has been reporting on the growing safety concerns in the Spring Mountain Corridor and now police are expanding their efforts to tackle crime yet again.
“This is one of the hottest spaces here in Las Vegas,” said Luis de Santos, owner of GYU in Chinatown.
The vibrant area attracts thousands of tourists and locals every day, but the uptick in crime was one of the reasons why Captain Katie Geiger with LVMPD’s Spring Valley Area Command helped to establish an anti-crime task force.
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At the time, Chinatown had been plagued with a string of robberies, burglaries and break-ins. To help control it, Metro increased patrols in the area and prioritized surveillance.
“There was definitely a need,” Captain Geiger said.
Both of Luis de Santos' restaurants were hit. They lost thousands.
“Just north of $12,000 to $15,000,” de Santos said.
Captain Geiger says those incidents led to a spike in reported crimes reflected in these statistics.
“We always try to be one step ahead. We really do try to anticipate what needs might happen in a community. Specifically, you know our Chinatown community,” she said.
Since this summer, the number of property crimes and violent crimes in the area has decreased.
“If officers aren’t on a call for service it is a priority to get down to that area because it's a big tourist attraction. We want to keep everybody safe in our community,” she said.
As part of the expanding initiative, Metro is planning to add more surveillance cameras in 2025 plus boost police presence in the area.
Geiger said the department is especially proud of the connection they’ve been able to make with business owners.
