Las Vegas police see improvements in area of northeast valley that was previously deemed unsafe

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in September deemed the area near Lake Mead Boulevard and Arnona, otherwise known as “the saddle,” as unsafe and were urging people to avoid the area.

Two months later, police said they are seeing improvements.

Christa Dreyer and Alex Freels have lived near Lake Mead and Arnona for many years and have continuously seen criminal activities taking place in the area.

“Lots of drinking, sexual acts, shootings,” said Dreyer and Freels. The pair said that is not all.

“We take our dog out here and there is a lot of glass and so it is just kind of hard,” said Dreyer.

Las Vegas police said in September that they were seeing an uptick in illegal shootings, robberies and other crimes.

“This area has historically been an area where people congregate,” said LVMPD Capt. Chris Holmes with the northeast area command. “A lot of times they will start consuming alcohol and sometimes that turns into disturbances and fights.”

To address and help reduce crime in the area, Las Vegas police partnered with the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service and North Las Vegas police.

“We did a quick operation up here to find the people who were doing the various activities and holding them accountable,” said Holmes.

Forty vehicle stops were completed, nine citations were issued, two people were arrested for DUI and a weapon was recovered.

“That’s good they are out there doing their jobs and coming out here and checking the area out,” said Freels.

Las Vegas police said they have also established four additional neighborhood watches and better communication with families living in nearby neighborhoods.

“We are going to continue to pay attention to this area and make sure people are having a good time and are here safely and enjoy the place,’ said Holmes.

LVMPD asks that people reach out to the Northeast Area Command if they have any concerns or see any dangerous or suspicious activity by calling 702-828-8184 or emailing neaccop@lvmpd.com.

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