LV Council hopes to keep teens from downtown on New Year's

If kids can't run loose on the Las Vegas Strip after 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve because of a recently passed Clark County ordinance, where will they go to celebrate the new millennium?

How about downtown at the Fremont Street Experience?

Not if city officials have their say.

The Las Vegas City Council will introduce Wednesday an ordinance similar to one passed by the county earlier this month to outlaw unsupervised minors from the main tourist corridors after 6 p.m.

"The (Metro Police) downtown area commander got a hold of me and expressed concerns that if they (minors) can't go on the Strip they will go downtown instead," said Councilman Gary Reese, who requested the bill draft because his Ward 3 encompasses the downtown area.

"There had not been any discussion about it (prohibiting unattended youths) to my knowledge before the county acted. But if it is a concern to the police, then I support their efforts to protect everybody."

Ordinances in the county and city have long outlawed youngsters from downtown and the Strip after 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve. However, with a much heavier turnout expected in Las Vegas -- more than 1 million people -- to celebrate the end of the 20th century, city and county officials are trying to limit at least the underaged pedestrian traffic.

"This is a safety concern," Reese said. "There are always going to be fights that break out on New Year's Eve. And with incidents like what happened at the Golden Gate (where a woman card dealer last week was shot to death on the casino floor by a man police say was her ex-boyfriend) you could have had security guards lined two feet apart and someone who wanted to take such action could still do it.

"However, having the ordinance will give police a better opportunity to make things safe for everyone."

Youths who are accompanied by responsible adults will be allowed to enjoy the Fremont Street Experience, Strip and other nongambling attractions.

The city bill calls for a 6 p.m. curfew on Jan. 1 as well as Dec. 31.

"Because it is a weekend, police are concerned that things will be busy both of those nights," Reese said.

The county ordinance was introduced last month by Commissioner Dario Herrera.

Both amendments are for this year only.

The county streets where the ordinance will be enforced include Las Vegas Boulevard between Sahara Avenue and Sunset Road; Harmon Avenue between the Strip and Koval Lane; Flamingo Road between Interstate 15 and Koval; Spring Mountain Road-Sands Drive between Vegas Plaza Drive and Koval.

The curfew also affects Stardust Road between Industrial Road and the Strip, Convention Center Drive, Riviera Boulevard and Circus Circus Drive.

The streets affected under the city ordinance will be determined at a recommending committee hearing that will be set at Wednesday's council meeting. No other action is expected on the measure Wednesday.

archive