Crime declining in Nevada; more cases solved

Thursday, Aug. 21, 1997 | 10:34 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Murders skyrocketed in Nevada in 1996 but the overall number of serious crimes declined by 3.6 percent, the state Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety reported.

And there were more crimes solved by police and sheriff's deputies than in years past.

Gov. Bob Miller, referring to the drop in the crime rate, said, "These numbers are a credit to Nevada law enforcement. Being the fastest-growing state in the nation, our crime-fighting problems are compounded dramatically."

The report covering 1996 will be sent to the FBI for inclusion for its final national report on crime due in October. Preliminary figures issued by the FBI showed a 3 percent decline nationally in crime.

The report said there were 225 murders in Nevada in 1996, or 58 more than in 1995. Law enforcement cleared up 103 of these killings.

Clark County recorded 207 of the statewide murder toll and it reported "clearing" 88 of these crimes. This compares with an estimated 154 murders in 1995 and 130 in 1994.

The report said there were 174 men killed and 51 women murdered statewide. There were 124 men and 21 women who committed the offenses.

Handguns accounted for 51.3 percent of the killings; knives were used in 16.7 percent of the murders; "unknown firearms" accounted for another 10.1 percent; beating murders were recorded at 5.3 percent; and a blunt instrument was used in 4.8 percent of the killings.

Gordon Absher, spokesman for the department, said Nevada experienced an increase in crime in 1994 of 13 percent and then 3.2 percent in 1995. The overall crime rate, calculated per 1,000 population, fell in 1996 to 57.1, compared with 63.2 in 1995 and 69.3 in 1994.

Miller said, "I am pleased to see that our combined efforts -- at the state, local and street levels -- are working. This is a tangible reflection of what is being done in our Legislature, in our courts, by our police and sheriffs and by our communities."

Nevada's crime rate has traditionally been above the national average. For instance in 1995 the crime rate in the state was 63.2 per 1,000 citizens while the national average was 52.7. Since the national figures are not available yet, there is nothing to compare in 1996.

Violent crimes fell 10 percent in 1996 in Nevada compared with a preliminary national figure of 7 percent. And there was a 2.5 percent decrease in property crimes compared with 3 percent nationally.

The department reported statewide that rapes fell by 7.2 percent, robbery by 0.4 percent and aggravated assault by 16.9 percent.

While preliminary figures nationally show murder decreased in 1996 by 11 percent, Nevada's went up 34.7 percent.

Clark County law enforcement agencies reported 70,984 crimes in 1996, or 63.6 for each 1,000 population. And 17,031, or 24 percent, of those offenses were solved. In 1995, there were 74,616 offenses reported for a crime rate of 72 per 1,000 population. Only 16.3 percent of the crimes in 1995 were cleared.

Thirty-five local law enforcement agencies in Nevada reported their statistics to the state, which compiled the 215-page report.