County considers ways to clean up the Las Vegas Strip

By Joe Schoenmann

Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 | 2 a.m.

A significantly larger police presence on the Strip might be the way to stem the rising tide of illegal peddlers, street performers, pushy handbillers and panhandlers on the state’s most valuable stretch of road, according to a group attempting to solve the problem.

Casino executives, police and county staff began meeting months ago at the behest of County Commissioner Steve Sisolak after five deaths on the Strip over 11 days in June and July. Four of the deaths led to murder charges.

Sources close to the process said the group believes it has become apparent that more police officers are needed. On weekends, perhaps the number of officers stationed on the Strip would double from current levels.

Metro does not release officer numbers and locations for tactical reasons, a spokesman said. And a source said more officers have already begun working weekends.

The expense of such a move would likely be borne by Strip businesses through some kind of tax district, although it hasn’t yet been determined how much would be paid and by whom, sources said.

Last summer, some Strip casinos began paying Metro directly to post extra officers on weekends, sources said.

The poor economy has driven more people to look for freelance work in the resort corridor, selling bottled water or dressing as characters and posing for photos with tourists. That has led to complaints about overflowing garbage cans, filthy sidewalks and a general sense of lawlessness.

Panhandlers are getting into the “act,” using puppies and kittens to elicit sympathy from passers-by, said Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, whose district includes part of the Strip. She said her office has received complaints about how the animals are being treated.

Giunchigliani isn’t part of the Strip security committee, but when told the group will likely propose adding more police, she said that shouldn’t be the only proposal on the table. For instance, hotels could offer tourists free bottled water to cut into the illegal water sales; the street needs more trash cans and more workers to empty them and clean the sidewalks.

“Some properties do a great job, and others don’t bother,” she said, adding that she believes that type of work should be handled by the county.

As for handbillers trying to unload business cards advertising outcall services, Giunchigliani thinks an ordinance could curb what many consider a nuisance by providing a time, manner and place for handbillers. It would also make handbillers responsible for the thousands of cards left on the sidewalk, “after tourists throw their cards away,” she said.

“All of it comes down to enforcement and penalties,” she added. “Just having more police won’t solve that problem.”

Sisolak doesn’t sit on the Strip security committee either. But as one of two county commissioners on Metro’s Fiscal Affairs Committee, he has developed a relationship with Metro administrators. One thing he has learned, he said, is that Metro issues citations for illegal peddling on the Strip but “judges routinely dismiss them.”

Having more of a police presence, he added, might discourage illegal activity by preventing it.

He agreed that the sidewalks need to be cleaned more frequently, adding that his shoes stuck to the sidewalks during a visit to the Strip over the summer.

As for the outcall service cards, he isn’t sure what can be done because previous attempts to curb it have been defeated on First Amendment grounds.

“But here again, if it’s illegal activity, if it’s publicizing prostitution, we need to stop it,” he said. “Tourists want a pleasurable, safe experience as they traverse Las Vegas Boulevard. That includes being free from having stuff shoved in your face and confronted with this pornographic literature or whatever you want to call it.”

Once the committee finalizes its proposals, it will present them to the public, Sisolak said. He expects something by the end of this year.