Violent crime is declining following elevated rates over the last two years.
A new survey from the Council on Criminal Justice found that violent crime rates are falling to the levels reported in 2019. And one city in the Mountain West attributes the decline to its law-enforcement efforts.
During a news conference at the FBI regional office in Las Vegas this week, officials pointed to the work of the Criminal Apprehension Task Force (CAT).
FBI Special Agent in Charge, Chirstopher Delzotto, in Las Vegas, praised the unit, a collaboration between state and federal officers, for declining crime rates.
“Crushing violent crime is a top priority of the FBI and law enforcement across the country. It is our duty to bring these criminals to justice and ensure the safety of our communities,” said Delzotto.
Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said he believes President Trump, who has deployed National Guard troops to help fight crime elsewhere in the U.S., would take note.
“I don’t think that Las Vegas has a crime rate that needs the national guard out here. And I think that if we continue to crush those numbers, I don’t think that we’re actually going to be on that list to do that.”
McMahill added that murders in the city fell by more than 30% in the past year, a historic low.
An analysis of 30 cities found that during the past year, murders are down by 17% overall according to the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice. That downward trend can be seen in the Mountain West. The analysis found that murders were down 13% in Phoenix , 24% in Albuquerque, and by 45% in Denver.