In Las Vegas, Rising Murders Strain a Police Force Used to Solving Them

[Shizzmoney]

As homicides here have swelled to 125 so far this year — a 27 percent increase over 2015 — detectives have watched caseloads grow to five or six apiece, and have become accustomed to phones ringing at 3 a.m. bringing more bad news.

“I’ve got a lot of tired people,” Lieutenant McGrath said.

The pace of the killings has been relentless, even for veteran detectives, who have seen the number creep steadily upward, from 84 in 2012, and are spending more of their time at crime scenes.

April was especially violent, with 24 homicides, the most in any month in the city’s history. While the pace has slowed somewhat, the count this year may surpass the 157 killed in 2006. The city’s worst year was 1996, when 167 people were murdered.

The homicide clearance rate for Las Vegas remains a point of satisfaction for investigators even as they are swamped with cases. Last week, the unit added two detectives to bring the total to 21, in order to help with the caseload, Lieutenant McGrath said.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/10/04...homicides.html

[ftpjesus]

As homicides here have swelled to 125 so far this year — a 27 percent increase over 2015 — detectives have watched caseloads grow to five or six apiece, and have become accustomed to phones ringing at 3 a.m. bringing more bad news.

“I’ve got a lot of tired people,” Lieutenant McGrath said.

The pace of the killings has been relentless, even for veteran detectives, who have seen the number creep steadily upward, from 84 in 2012, and are spending more of their time at crime scenes.

April was especially violent, with 24 homicides, the most in any month in the city’s history. While the pace has slowed somewhat, the count this year may surpass the 157 killed in 2006. The city’s worst year was 1996, when 167 people were murdered.

The homicide clearance rate for Las Vegas remains a point of satisfaction for investigators even as they are swamped with cases. Last week, the unit added two detectives to bring the total to 21, in order to help with the caseload, Lieutenant McGrath said.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/10/04...homicides.html

167 was the highest murder count only 20 yrs ago?? Somehow I have a feeling theres a lot of bodies in the desert that might argue with those numbers just saying.. Also I find it ironic that the casino marker law many of us have been railing about was passed around that same time.. hmmm coincidence????

[lvpkr1009]

I've lived in Vegas for the last 10 years and the problems with crime have gotten progressively worse and moving further west in the city over the last decade. It used to be that most violent crimes were centered in predictable areas of the valley which is fairly standard for most cities but it's gotten out of control in the last few years.

I live right down the street from Red Rock Casino on the east side of 215 and what was once a safe area has even come to be progressively worse in the last year or so. There's only a few areas of town left you can live in and be pretty assured you don't have to worry that much about things. Unless you are west of 215 between Flamingo and Charleston or WAY on the south side close to the M casino there's a decent chance you can become a victim of some sort of violent crime in your surrounding area.

My girlfriend has finally convinced me to move the fuck out of Vegas so we just bought a house 40 miles north of Phoenix in Surprise, Az and to be honest I can't wait until our daughter's gymnastics season is over in March to GTFO of here

[hardeight]

I've lived in Vegas for the last 10 years and the problems with crime have gotten progressively worse and moving further west in the city over the last decade. It used to be that most violent crimes were centered in predictable areas of the valley which is fairly standard for most cities but it's gotten out of control in the last few years.

I live right down the street from Red Rock Casino on the east side of 215 and what was once a safe area has even come to be progressively worse in the last year or so. There's only a few areas of town left you can live in and be pretty assured you don't have to worry that much about things. Unless you are west of 215 between Flamingo and Charleston or WAY on the south side close to the M casino there's a decent chance you can become a victim of some sort of violent crime in your surrounding area.

My girlfriend has finally convinced me to move the fuck out of Vegas so we just bought a house 40 miles north of Phoenix in Surprise, Az and to be honest I can't wait until our daughter's gymnastics season is over in March to GTFO of here

You don't feel safe in your gated community? HOA's probably steal more money then the drug addicts . I would of guessed vegas would have lower crime then Phoenix but granted your 40 miles out . GOod luck on the move.

[lvpkr1009]

I've lived in Vegas for the last 10 years and the problems with crime have gotten progressively worse and moving further west in the city over the last decade. It used to be that most violent crimes were centered in predictable areas of the valley which is fairly standard for most cities but it's gotten out of control in the last few years.

I live right down the street from Red Rock Casino on the east side of 215 and what was once a safe area has even come to be progressively worse in the last year or so. There's only a few areas of town left you can live in and be pretty assured you don't have to worry that much about things. Unless you are west of 215 between Flamingo and Charleston or WAY on the south side close to the M casino there's a decent chance you can become a victim of some sort of violent crime in your surrounding area.

My girlfriend has finally convinced me to move the fuck out of Vegas so we just bought a house 40 miles north of Phoenix in Surprise, Az and to be honest I can't wait until our daughter's gymnastics season is over in March to GTFO of here

You don't feel safe in your gated community? HOA's probably steal more money then the drug addicts . I would of guessed vegas would have lower crime then Phoenix but granted your 40 miles out . GOod luck on the move.

the idea of a "gated community" in vegas is a joke unless you live in one that has a checkpoint guard that makes rounds. Cars get stolen or broken into all the time in my neighborhood and homes broken into more often than I knew. It wasn't until I signed up for one of those crime alert things on my phone that I even realized how often stuff happens in a mile radius of my house. I've always held true to the notion that if you live anywhere along a bus line then youre fucked. I happen to live right at the end of the bus line and would need to move to the other side of the freeway about a mile to get off of it.

[hardeight]

You don't feel safe in your gated community? HOA's probably steal more money then the drug addicts . I would of guessed vegas would have lower crime then Phoenix but granted your 40 miles out . GOod luck on the move.

the idea of a "gated community" in vegas is a joke unless you live in one that has a checkpoint guard that makes rounds. Cars get stolen or broken into all the time in my neighborhood and homes broken into more often than I knew. It wasn't until I signed up for one of those crime alert things on my phone that I even realized how often stuff happens in a mile radius of my house. I've always held true to the notion that if you live anywhere along a bus line then youre fucked. I happen to live right at the end of the bus line and would need to move to the other side of the freeway about a mile to get off of it.

only way I would move back is if they get online poker with the ROW player pool.