More You Know: Las Vegas, Other Cities, and Violent Crime

Before I moved to Nevada, I read that you don’t want to get housing anywhere near the strip for obvious reasons. People like to gamble and when they lose all their money, they like to break into apartments to find more money to spend. Since every major city that has a population of over 500,000 people usually has a seedy part or underbelly, Las Vegas is no different. Clark County which Las Vegas resides has a population of around 2.3 million people. This pales in comparison to Los Angeles County with 9.9 million people. Mind you since moving, Nevada drivers are ten times worse than California drivers.

When I lived in Los Angeles, I frequented the seedy parts of the city. The ones where tourists usually don’t go because they are labeled dangerous for crime and homelessness. Downtown LA, South LA, K-Town, Fashion District, Hollywood, and Central LA and West Adams are a few areas you should visit with someone and preferably in the daylight. There are some areas where it is advised not to go if you don’t look a certain way (advice given to someone I know) by another person on the subway. I heard enough gun shots on the 405 since I lived close to it before moving. Let’s just say I’m used to it. Sad but true.

Now that I live in Nevada, I learned more about the seedy areas of Las Vegas such as Naked City, East Las Vegas, West Las Vegas, Meadows Village, Rancho Charleston, and of course Downtown LV. I live far enough away that the chances of someone entering my apartment is slim but there are homeless people that show up once in a while. A few weeks ago, I heard what sounded like a gun shot. Again, I’m used to it and helicopters flying around trying to find people. I looked up some statistics about the most dangerous cities in the U.S. and the world because Naked City got me thinking. Amazingly, the LV casinos with the highest number of calls to the LV Metro police were located in the middle and south end of the strip. The Strat wasn’t even on the list which is basically the gateway casino to the actual strip, which starts with Sahara.

Top 10 U.S. cities with the highest rates of violent crime in 2019 by the FBI (posted on CBS News)

10. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The violent crime rate in Milwaukee is 1,332 incidents per 100,000 residents. 

9. Albuquerque, New Mexico

The violent crime rate in Albuquerque is 1,352 per 100,000 residents. 

8. Stockton, California

The violent crime rate in Stockton is 1,397 per 100,000 residents. 

6 (TIE). Cleveland, Ohio

The violent crime rate in Cleveland is 1,517 per 100,000 residents.

6 (TIE). Little Rock, Arkansas

The violent crime rate in Little Rock is 1,517 per 100,000 residents. 

5. Springfield, Missouri

The violent crime rate in Springfield is 1,519 per 100,000 residents.

4. Baltimore, Maryland

The violent crime rate in Baltimore is 1,859 per 100,000 people. 

3. Memphis, Tennessee

The violent crime rate in Memphis is 1,901 per 100,000 residents. 

2. St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis has a violent crime rate of 1,927 per 100,000 people.

1. Detroit, Michigan

Detroit’s violent crime rate is 1,965 incidents per 100,000 residents.

Top 10 world cities with the highest rates of violent crime in 2019 by World Atlas

10. Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela

9.  Fortaleza, Brazil

8. Natal, Brazil

7.  Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela

6.  Irapuato, Mexico

5.  Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

4.  Ciudad Victoria, Mexico

3.  Caracas, Venezuela

2. Acapulco, Mexico

1. Tijuana, Mexico

Top 10 Casinos on the Las Vegas strip with the highest number of police calls in 2018 to LV Metro PD (posted on KTNV news)

10. Wynn with 1064 calls

9.  Mandalay Bay with 1120 calls

8.  Fashion Show Mall with 1125 calls

7.  Aria with 1133 calls

6.  Venetian with 1309 calls

5.  Planet Hollywood with 1312 calls

4.  Cosmopolitan with 1567 calls

3.  Bellagio with 1646 calls

2. Caesars Palace with 2094 calls

1. MGM Grand with 2492 calls