Editorial: Neighborhoods seek a better life

People have a reasonable expectation that the community they live in should be free of prostitutes, drug-dealers and other criminals.

Sadly, in some communities in the Las Vegas Valley, this isn't the case. In an effort to deter prostitutes, there is an existing "order out" ordinance that allows a prostitute to get a sentence suspended if that person stays out of the downtown corridor in the future. Prostitutes who return to the corridor after agreeing to the deal can be arrested.

On Thursday, local law enforcement, city government officials and the Downtown Central Development Committee announced an agreement to try to expand the size of the existing "order out" corridor and what type of criminal activities to which it applies. Currently, the corridor is bordered by Stewart Avenue on the north, Charleston Boulevard on the south, Eastern Avenue on the east and Main Street on the west.

Under the proposal, the corridor on the north would be expanded from Stewart Avenue up to Bonanza Road. The agreement also calls for expanding not just the size of the corridor, but also including drug dealers and loiterers as those to who the "order out" ordinance would apply. Also agreed to was a commitment to a stronger presence and cooperation among officials representing local government and law enforcement.

People who live in the area that were interviewed by Sun reporter Jace Radke seemed pleased by this development. "This took some doing," Allen Jacobson, a homeowner in a 20th Street neighborhood, said. "We decided that we needed to set up some type of partnership with the police. We'll do our part with neighborhood watches and communication, and now they have to do their part."

Government has a responsibility to take reasonable step to make sure that neighborhoods have the tools to prevent criminals from overrunning their communities.

Until more is done to protect these neighborhoods, more businesses and homeowners will leave, and people will avoid moving in. Everyone talks about how important it is to revitalize the downtown area, so it's good to see people work toward taking concrete measures to protect all Las Vegas neighborhoods.

archive