Washington, D.C. — Today, CAP Action released a new fact sheet on violent crime in Nevada. The analysis reveals that under Gov. Steve Sisolak’s (D-NV) leadership, Nevada violent crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since 1985, the first year with available data. As the piece lays out, the decline in violent crime in the Battle Born State follows an 11 percent increase in funding for state police under Governor Sisolak’s leadership and the passage of key gun safety measures.
The record decline in violent crime in Nevada comes even as murders in Clark County have surged under the leadership of MAGA Republican gubernatorial candidate Sheriff Joe Lombardo (R-NV). The fact sheet looks at how Lombardo’s massive restructuring of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, decentralizing detectives and taking officers off investigative and gang units, led to a surge in violence. The year following Lombardo’s dangerous experiment, Las Vegas saw a record 67 percent spike in homicides. Years later, from 2020 to 2021, Lombardo oversaw a 49 percent increase in homicides even as the state’s violent crime rate dropped more than 9 percent.
In addition to the restructuring, the increase in violence under Lombardo came as he worked to eliminate gun safety measures, such as Clark County’s firearm registration system—making it easier for dangerous people to get guns. The fact sheet also looks at how Lombardo’s promises on the campaign trail would double down on dangerous ideas that could further fuel violent crime, including by bringing firearms into Nevada classrooms, overturning the state’s extreme risk law, and repealing the ban on “ghost guns.” Lombardo also opposes any restrictions on large-capacity magazines and automatic weapons.
“Joe Lombardo’s extreme policies and disastrous leadership have had deadly consequences for the people of Las Vegas, and his record stands in stark contrast to that of Gov. Sisolak, who has overseen a record statewide decline in violent crime,” said Jerry Parshall, senior director of CAP Action’s Safety and Justice Campaign. “His failed record and campaign promises that would make it easier for dangerous people to carry guns make clear he does not put the safety of Nevadans first.”
Please click here to read: “Fact Sheet: The Truth About Violent Crime in Clark County” by CAP Action staff.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected].