LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Gunfire recorded by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police is down by almost a third across the Las Vegas Valley in 2024, according to the latest statistics recorded by ShotSpotter technology.
The ShotSpotter program, in place since 2017, utilizes gunfire detection devices across 27 square miles of the Las Vegas Valley. Recently, new devices were installed in the Northwest Valley to curb crime.
Police said that the Las Vegas Valley had an increase in gunfire in 2023, but due to a “holistic” approach to policing, gunfire is significantly down in 2024 by a monthly average of 27.5%.
Police describe a “holistic” approach to crime as a collaboration between departments such as patrol, detectives, Fusion Watch and the utilization of technology to crack down on crime.
“It gets officers and our medical staff to victims quicker, to suspects, locates crime scenes, firearms are recovered. So it’s a true game changer for LVMPD and our community,” said Lieutenant Bill Steinmetz in a previous December interview with FOX5.
The ShotSpotter program analyzed a trend, according to Clark County Commissioner Jim Gibson: the highest rates of gunfire occur on Fridays, and the peak times for activity are 12 a.m. to 4 a.m., allowing officers to prepare accordingly to curb criminal activity.
The department continues to boost technology resources, and 38 drones are coming all through a donation to the LVMPD Foundation, said Gibson in June. The drones are equipped to dodge obstacles in case a suspect hurls an object at them.
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