LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas Officer is using her own experience on patrol to try to decrease violence in the youth community.
LVMPD Officer Celina Cruz says, throughout her 18 years answering calls for service, she noticed a recurring theme with the Las Vegas Valley youth.
“I saw that we would be there for a period of time to handle the call and maybe stay for a few minutes longer but we wouldn’t have the time to stay longer,” Cruz says. “That’s where I came up with the idea to try to do more.”
The idea: the ACE Program, standing for Anti-violence through Community Engagement.
“We were told that the Sheriff wanted to reduce violent crime within our youth and he takes it very seriously and he’s very passionate about that, so was I,” Cruz says. “We have to do this.”
She says the ACE process starts with a referral for a “high risk youth” between the ages of 11 and 17.
“We are looking at youth that are involved in gang activity, drugs, gun priors, multiple calls for service,” Cruz explained. “Or, just a youth that says ‘I need help.’”
Next comes a voluntary home visit, where the team assesses how to help the child’s entire family.
“We just let them do all the talking,” she explains. “Then from there, we go to all of our community resources and we figure out how we’re going to help this family be successful.”
Cruz says they are partnered with a plethora of community resources who help provide curated help to each family.
She says they will continue to work with each family until they reach success. But, Cruz says “success” isn’t one size fits all, it is judged differently for each family.
“We could have a family that’s homeless and their child is committing petty larcenies. So for me, maybe success would be that we got him a home,” Cruz explains.
“We have a case where we have a youth that was gang involved, and did a drive-by shooting,” she says. “We got involved and relocated the family and he’s doing really well.”
FOX5’S Molly McBride: What is your long term goal here?
Cruz: “My long term goal is for this to be moving forward without me present, and to serve the whole community and possibly branch this off into another state somewhere, or show another community that is struggling that this is possible.”
Cruz says the program soft launched in October 2024. They are currently assisting 300 children and their families.
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