Las Vegas Considers Reviving Tourist Court to Boost Declining Visitor Numbers
In a bid to revitalize Las Vegas tourism, lawmakers are considering bringing back a specialized court system that was disbanded less than two years after its creation. The Resort Corridor Court, established in 2022 to handle minor offenses such as petty theft, assault, drug violations, and loitering in tourist areas, may see new life as part of Governor Joe Lombardo’s crime package. This potential revival comes as visitor numbers continue to decline, with September showing an 8.8% decrease compared to the previous year according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The court had a unique approach to handling crime in tourist areas, including the ability to ban offenders from the Strip for up to a year, making it the first and only court of its kind focused specifically on offenses in tourist hotspots.
The push to resurrect this specialized court has garnered significant support from casino and resort owners through the Nevada Resort Association, whose president Virginia Valentine emphasized its importance for both guest and employee safety. “It’s important for the safety of our guests and for our employees in the workplace,” Valentine stated, highlighting the connection between tourism and security. Workers’ unions, including Culinary Union Local 226, have also voiced their support for the court’s revival. Secretary-treasurer Ted Pappageorge stressed that the court would help deter crime and protect workers, adding that customer safety is directly linked to the local economy’s health. The underlying concern is straightforward: if tourists don’t feel safe in Las Vegas, they’ll choose other destinations, which ultimately means lost jobs and income for local workers.
While concerns about crime in Las Vegas persist, the data presents a mixed picture. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime has decreased by 3.5% compared to the same period last year, and purse snatching incidents have dropped by 17.9%. However, shoplifting has increased by 12.6%, suggesting certain types of crime remain problematic in tourist areas. Rick Harrison, owner of the famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop featured on “Pawn Stars,” offered an interesting perspective on these statistics, suggesting they might be “skewed” due to how they’re calculated. “You have all of Clark County here and that is the population you get, but sometimes you almost double the population, [given] the amount of tourists,” Harrison explained. Despite these concerns, he praised local law enforcement, stating, “I think Metro and Las Vegas do an unbelievably good job.”
The Resort Corridor Court faced significant challenges during its brief existence, ultimately being disbanded after judges raised concerns about its legality. This specialized court represented an innovative approach to addressing the unique challenges of maintaining safety in a world-famous tourist destination that welcomes millions of visitors annually. The court’s potential revival is now being considered as an amendment to Governor Lombardo’s “Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act,” a comprehensive crime package aimed at enhancing public safety throughout Nevada. This integration could potentially address the previous legal concerns while maintaining the focused approach to tourism-related offenses that made the court unique.
Republican Governor Joe Lombardo’s broader crime package extends well beyond the tourism corridor, proposing increased penalties for repeat offenders and a variety of serious crimes. These include smash-and-grab robberies, possession of child pornography, assault and battery against hospitality employees, and DUIs resulting in death. The package also seeks to modernize definitions of certain crimes, such as expanding stalking to include cyberstalking, reflecting the evolution of criminal behavior in the digital age. This comprehensive approach suggests that while tourism safety is a priority, the administration is looking to address crime concerns throughout the state with a combination of specialized courts and strengthened penalties.
The debate over reviving the Resort Corridor Court represents a delicate balancing act between maintaining Las Vegas’s appeal as a premier tourist destination and addressing legitimate concerns about its legal framework. Tourism remains the lifeblood of the Las Vegas economy, with the massive resorts along the Strip employing thousands of workers and generating billions in revenue. As visitor numbers continue to trend downward, stakeholders across the spectrum—from casino owners to union workers—are increasingly aligned in their support for measures that might reverse this decline. Whether the revived court will successfully navigate the legal challenges that led to its previous disbandment remains to be seen, but the broad coalition supporting its return suggests a strong belief that specialized approaches to maintaining safety in tourist areas are essential to Las Vegas’s future prosperity. As the legislative process unfolds, both tourists and residents alike will be watching to see if this unique approach to law enforcement returns to the Strip.
