Nearly 250 banned in ‘order out corridor’ law in downtown Las Vegas
Nearly 250 people have been barred from stepping foot in and around tourist destinations in downtown Las Vegas since the city broadened its “order out corridor” in the winter, according to a presentation at City Hall this week.
The order — which went into effect in late November — allowed Municipal Court judges to issue suspended jail sentences to misdemeanor offenders if they stayed away from the corridor for up to a year.
Out of the 246 people ordered to stay away through early this month, 81 were jailed for violating the order, according to the city. Nine others went on to violate the order again.
The top four offenses that resulted in a court order were trespassing, battery, obstructing police and disturbing the peace, with more than half of the offenders determined to be homeless, according to city officials.
The corridor includes 144 acres between Stewart and Bridger avenues and Main and Eighth streets, and another 67 acres surrounding The Strat.
November’s ordinance expanded the scope of an “order out zone” that applied for people convicted of prostitution and drug crimes. It followed a larger effort implemented by Clark County in 2022 in and around the Strip.
The county’s order was challenged in court, and the city is monitoring a Nevada Supreme Court determination in that case, Las Vegas City Attorney Jeff Dorocak told the council.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada alleged at the time that the orders would unjustly target people experiencing homelessness, street performers and protesters, giving police an excuse to “conduct stop-and-frisk searches.”
It also called the order an “affront” to the First Amendment’s protection of free speech and the 14th Amendment’s protection of people’s right to move freely.
The city ordinance has an exception for people who have homes in the corridor or conduct essential activities, such as work or religious worship in it, according to the ordinance. The courts have approved three exceptions.
The Metropolitan Police Department and City Marshals said that the order has contributed to a 10 percent and 40 percent reductions in aggravated assaults in the downtown area and near the Strat, respectively.
The council in November rejected an amendment that would have expanded the corridor.
Mayor Carolyn Goodman and Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske on Wednesday appeared to be open to expanding the corridor to include the areas near Main Street Casino and the Plaza Hotel & Casino.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.