In Clark County there is an area called the “order-out corridor” covering Las Vegas tourist destinations. Judges have the power to ban people who commit misdemeanors within its boundaries from the area.
On October 2, the Las Vegas City Council unanimously voted to expand the order-out corridor to encompass the Plaza Hotel and Main Street Station parking garage.
Key Highlights
- Judges can ban people who commit misdemeanors from the order-out corridor, which covers popular Las Vegas tourist areas.
- It was expanded to include the Plaza Hotel and Main Street Station parking garage.
- Opponents believe the ordinance violates civil rights and can lead to profiling.
- Law enforcement officials cite statistics that show a decrease in crime since the creation of the corridor.
Second Expansion in Less Than a Year
This is the second expansion of the corridor’s borders. When it was established in August 2022, its original boundaries included most of the Las Vegas Strip and some destinations nearby.
In November 2023, the City Council added the area around Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas and the north end of the Strip, including the Strat.
Law enforcement officials say the corridor’s purpose is to keep repeat offenders away from heavy tourist areas rather than arrest them and put them behind bars.
At a July city council meeting, Las Vegas Assistant City Attorney Carlene Helbert said that 246 people were “ordered out” between November 27, 2023 and June 30, 2024. 81 of them, half of whom were unhoused, violated the order and were put in jail. Nine became repeat offenders.
Over 200 of the violations occurred within the famous Fremont Street Experience area.
Opponents Concerned About Civil Rights, Profiling
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been a vocal opponent of the order-out corridor since its inception. It spoke out against this week’s expansion.
“Expanding the order-out corridor boundaries before the constitutionality of the ordinance is decided would be premature and could lead to further legal complications,” said ACLU attorney Tia Smith. “It is essential that any changes to the order-out corridor are guided by the court’s forthcoming ruling.”
Acting without this guidance could lead to actions that infringe upon the constitutional rights of your constituents, especially those already vulnerable to over-policing and profiling.
– ACLU attorney Tia Smith
Last year, the ACLU backed Ackeem Ramsay, who was ordered out while on supervised probation for pandering. The organization argued that the ordinance violated his rights under the First Amendment.
The ACLU also said that the order-out corridor “was specifically meant to target people accused of low-level, nonviolent offenses and has been the basis for hundreds of arrests within the last year.”
At Wednesday’s city council meeting, during which the expansion was agreed to unanimously, Smith advised, “Acting without this guidance could lead to actions that infringe upon the constitutional rights of your constituents, especially those already vulnerable to over-policing and profiling.”
Police Say Ordinance Has Been Successful
Law enforcement and government officials believe the order-out corridor and its expansion are necessary to help reduce crime.
“I do believe that this is impacting our violent crime in those two corridors,” Metro Police Capt. Adam Seely said in July, referring to the Strip and downtown.
“I do believe it is a result of the partnership and the policing that we’ve been doing in both areas and the fact that we’ve been able to have fewer victims of crime in both areas.”
Seely said that the order-out corridor helped decrease Fremont Street crime by 10% and resulted in an “astonishing” drop in crime by the Strat.
At a November 2023 meeting, Councilmember Nancy Brune expressed concern that the order-out corridor could just push crime to other areas. Metro Police Capt. Brandon Oris said at the time that there was no evidence of this happening, though he did not provide data.
Exemptions for people on the order-out list are possible, though not required.
They are considered on a case-by-case basis. Exemptions include those for people who live or work in the corridor, need to go there for medical care, attend religious services, have legal appearances, or need to access social services.
Sources
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/oct/02/las-vegas-expands-order-out-corridor-ordinance-ban/
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2023/nov/26/can-a-judge-really-ban-someone-from-the-resort-cor/
https://lasvegassun.com/news/2023/nov/15/city-of-las-vegas-votes-to-allow-banning-individua/
