Las Vegas police report spike in illegal activity on public lands
Law enforcement is reporting an influx of crime on the Bureau of Land Management’s public lands, causing Las Vegas police to step up patrol in those areas.
Public lands have seen four times the normal number of visitors since Gov. Steve Sisolak declared a stay-at-home order on April 1, police said on Monday.
The BLM has reported an increase in off-highway vehicles, target shooting, camping and illegal dumping. Similar activities have been reported in or around Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Police said off-road use and shooting are restricted across the valley.
“These restrictions have been put in place to protect the residents within the Las Vegas Valley who are venturing into public lands that border populated areas,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. “These closures are to maintain public safety and air quality standards for the residents of the Las Vegas Valley.”
BLM recreation lands will remain open unless authorities order or recommend their closure. For more information, call the BLM at 702-515-5000.
Contact Alexis Egeland at aegeland@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexis_egeland on Twitter.
