Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Crime prevention fair gets community involved in safety

Metropolitan Police crime event

Aaron Thompson / Special to the Home News

Aaron Ried, 8, lies in an ambulance as EMT Nadine Leone explains her duties at the Metropolitan Police crime event.

Click to enlarge photo

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer Troy D'ambrosio shows off his police SUV to Cub Scout Carter Davis, right, and others at the Metropolitan Police crime prevention event.

Safety fair

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will host a crime prevention and community safety fair from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Bonanza High School, 6665 Del Rey Ave. The fair will focus on children, families, senior citizen and business crime prevention and will feature seminars and more than 40 informational booths sponsored by local organizations. Nevada Missing Loved Ones, Nevada Child Seekers, The Rape Crisis Center and Prevent Child Abuse America are among the groups that will be in attendance.

With October being National Crime Prevention Month, the Northwest Area Command of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department hosted a crime prevention awareness event Oct. 9 at the Police Memorial Park, 9880 W. Cheyenne Ave.

The area command will host the same event from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the same location.

"The idea is that we wanted to increase family security ideas," said Kathy Perkins, crime prevention specialist for the Northwest Area Command. The event had Metro-approved vendors, like Alarmco, set up displays that promot home security.

"People are getting really interested in video surveillance," Perkins said.

Alarmco's stand had a camera set up that followed anyone who walked by and who could then be seen on the surveillance screen set up on the nearby picnic table.

And because window break-ins are a growing concern for Metro and for residents, window companies like Las Vegas Window Tinting and Nevada Window Tinting had stands displaying unbreakable windows.

"The more you know about the safety tips that are out there, the more safety practices you can participate in," Perkins said, adding that everyone has to do what is manageable for them. "We need residents to take some responsibility by even doing the small things like locking doors and windows."

Other vendors included Home Depot, which offered tips for better securing doors and windows. The event also had Metro officers talk about identity theft and abuse and neglect.

Metro dispatch specialists were also there talking about the differences between calling 9-1-1 and 3-1-1.

"We need people to know that 911 is more for a crime that is in progress and 311 is for a crime not in progress," said Melody O'Connor, supervisor of the communications bureau of Metro. "When people don't understand, someone who really needs help might not be able to get through on 911 because someone is calling about a dog barking."

About 10,000 calls a day come in for 311 and 911.

A group from the Boy Scouts of America enjoyed its visit to the fair. Their favorite part of the event were the Medicwest Ambulance vehicle, city of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue truck and Metro police car parked in the parking lot with representatives from each organization to talk to visitors.

"We wanted the boys to come and meet the firefighters and especially meet the police officers, because sometimes they think the police are the bad guys, and we want them to know they're not," said June Lagor, the den Bear leader of pack 562, a group that meets at the Canyon Ridge Christian Church, 6200 Lone Mountain Road.

Metro officer Troy D'Ambrosio showed the Boy Scout pack all the things he has on his belt including his Taser gun, handcuffs and baton.

The boys wanted to see what it felt like to have handcuffs on, so each of them tried them on.

"I'm arrested! I'm arrested!" yelled Weston Clark after he had the cuffs on. After taking them off, he said he now knows what it feels like to be in jail.

"They're (the handcuffs) cool, but I don't want them on again," he said.

That's how the pack is teaching crime prevention, Lagor said.

Jenny Davis can be reached at 990-8921 or [email protected].

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