Sheriff Lombardo says Las Vegas violent crime down in 2019

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo announced Wednesday that the Las Vegas Valley has seen a drop in violent and property crimes, fatal crashes and homicides through mid-2019.

Each statistic was punctuated by a round of applause, met with a smile from the sheriff, who appeared to be in good spirits Wednesday — cracking jokes — as he addressed Las Vegas residents at the annual Lunch with the Sheriff, a fundraiser hosted by Metro’s foundation this year at Red Rock Resort.

According to Lombardo, violent crime is down 12 percent; homicides, 38 percent; property crime, 5 percent; and traffic fatalities, 20 percent.

This year Metro also promoted Lt. Melanie O’Daniel to commander of SWAT, the first time in department history that a woman was heading the unit. Lombardo on Wednesday called the promotion a “big deal.”

Joking, he added, “Imagine being the first female to break this glass ceiling amongst all those ‘A’ personalities.”

Looking ahead, Lombardo said, Metro’s focus — called its “most ambitious project to date” — is to raise money for a “state-of-the-art reality-based training center,” which was announced in May 2018.

The agency’s initial goal is to secure $25 million. As of Wednesday, Metro had surpassed the halfway mark, according to the department’s foundation.

The facility would be shared with agencies across Clark County, including North Las Vegas and Henderson police departments, the FBI, Nevada Highway Patrol and the Gaming Control Board.

Plans for the facility, which is being funded by private donations, were solidified after the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting, which killed 58 people and injured hundreds more. It will be next to Metro’s existing John T. Moran Firearms Facility, 7600 E. Carey Ave., in the northeast valley.

Construction on the training center is expected to happen in two phases. The first phase will focus on classrooms and office space, and the second building will be the “training village,” which will simulate a variety of environments, including casinos and classrooms, Metro has said.

Meanwhile, several units within the department — K-9, SWAT, traffic and ARMOR — hosted demonstrations for the first time at the luncheon.

ARMOR showed off one of its Canadian-made ICOR robots, which can fit in the aisle of an airplane, while SWAT flew one of its custom-made drones around the ballroom.

Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.