[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

It's all true. We want to bring the world here to experience the fairytale live. No we don't talk about crime a lot because it tarnishes the image. And many tourists don't report crimes because they only have a few days to play OR because what they were doing was illegal and embarrassing in the first place. Like being rolled by a hooker after a night of pay for play. Or a drug deal gone bad.

Overall, the casino areas are very safe. They have to be. Just like the roads leading to the ski resorts are always plowed first! It's in their best interest!

Oh for sure it's mostly safe. My only advice would be:

1.) Don't carry thousands in cash. If you play that large, take out markers. If you win huge, have the casino write you a check.

2.) Watch your pockets if you walk on the strip.

3.) if you drink excessively OR if you are a lady(even in a group of ladies) after midnight, use a taxi to get around rather than walk on the strip.

4.) don't accept a drink unless it comes straight from a staff member.

Common sense really. Tourists get to thinking they are in a contained secure area and that's not quite accurate.

[tijlover]

No matter what city that's dependent on the tourist trade, crime will be downplayed. It seems like mostly murders on the Strip make it to the Las Vegas Review Journal, which I've been reading for 19 years.

I've yet to read of a tourist's car being stolen!

I'm sure the reports of crime against tourists in Las Vegas have shown up in many a foreign newspaper!

[BBMW]

^
When do you hear (in the news) about anyone's car getting stolen? Or a common street mugging? Or burglary? These types of crimes just aren't newsworthy.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by yellowsnow

It's all true. We want to bring the world here to experience the fairytale live. No we don't talk about crime a lot because it tarnishes the image. And many tourists don't report crimes because they only have a few days to play OR because what they were doing was illegal and embarrassing in the first place. Like being rolled by a hooker after a night of pay for play. Or a drug deal gone bad.

Bear in mind, how many tourists come here who can't even speak any, or very little, English, and if a victim of crime, they'd be hesitant or apathetic about approaching a police officer or even a security guard who might not find someone to translate.

That happened to me, one time, in a foreign country, I spotted a policeman and then thought: Oh what's the use! They wouldn't understand me anyway, I may as well talk to a concrete wall!

We can be thankful that potential tourists don't get on Metro's Crimeview website, where you input a intersection in town, and find out what crimes have been committed within a half-mile or mile of that intersection, in the last week, 30 or 60 days!

There was an article in the newspaper, a few months back, about drink spikers, but I can't recall the exact term they use for those that spike unattended drinks, somehow get their victims to their hotel rooms or cars to be robbed. You just wouldn't think that would be going on this city, but apparently, it's done by both men and women.

[LV10101]

Crime is way under-reported in Las Vegas. There are many things to consider;
- People report things to the resort security department, these reports are internal and go no where outside of the resort except in some special circumstances.
- Metro will NOT respond to many crimes, the victim would have to respond to the nearest Metro Police Station to file a report. While on vacation, many without vehicles and many not willing to take the time.
- Also like the last person mentioned many tourist are foreign and don't speak English. Some may also believe that filing a report with the resort security department is filing a police report.
- Also one of the up ticking crimes "trick rolls" are not reported because the victim is committing a crime when they are robbed, so it goes unreported.

[BBMW]

Some, but a significant minority. The largest cohort of tourists in Vegas are Californians. Most of them speak english (some actually fluently :P). The next biggest group will be from the rest of the US and Canada. Again they'll have no language barrier. I bet the number of non-english speaking tourists in Vegas is less than 20% of the total.

So what you're talking about will happen. But if there's underreporting of crime, it's not going to be statistically significant. And, remember, this thread is about media underreporting, not police underreporting. Lots of things that show up in the police records (really most), never make the news.

Originally Posted by tijlover

Bear in mind, how many tourists come here who can't even speak any, or very little, English, and if a victim of crime, they'd be hesitant or apathetic about approaching a police officer or even a security guard who might not find someone to translate.

[tijlover]

On my ferret walks on the Strip, late night, I've met up with lots of Latin Americans from Mexico, and Brazil. I can speak enough Spanish, but I'm at a loss trying to communicate with the Brazilians. Portuguese, no matter what they say, is different than Spanish.