Staying Safe On The Las Vegas Strip

Las Vegas is the top tourist destination in the United States, with over 38 million visitors in 2005. Most of those visitors stayed on the Las Vegas Strip. The Strip is the area of Las Vegas Boulevard from the Mandalay Bay Hotel to the Stratosphere (okay, some people say it stops at Sahara Ave, but we don't). Now with all these people, often carrying large sums of money, a high crime rate in inevitable, right? Not really, but there are things to watch out for and ways to stay safer.
First of all, the security provided by the Las Vegas Hotels is excellent. The people who are in charge of security are often ex-FBI agents or high ranking police officers. Many of the guards are former police officers. All are higher trained, and receive better pay than the average security officer. Their surveillance equipment is second to none, although it is geared more towards protecting the house's money than the guests. Security doesn't end at the door, either, the guards also watch what is happening all over the casino property, including the garages and sidewalks. So while you are on casino property you are fairly safe, although like anywhere, nothing can be guaranteed 100%.
Security in the other, non-casino venues on the Strip is excellent, particularly in the big places like the large shopping malls or the Sands Convention Center. Even the large drug stores, Walgreen and CVS, have guards and do a good job with security. Again, no place is perfectly safe at all times, but security is tight in these locations, and the officers are professional.
The biggest security concern on the Strip are the areas around the little stores, open lots, and construction sites. Now you have to count on the Metropolitan Police (Metro) to keep you safe. Metro knows about these holes in security and they seem to patrol them more often than the areas around the casinos. Metro is a professional police force with well trained and dedicated officers, but they sometimes can be distracted when there are multiple incidents at one time on the Strip.
So what can you do to stay safe? Keep your money in a front pocket, wrapped in a rubber band. Ladies, don't take a purse with you if you will be walking long distances. Stick the the Strip, don't take the "back way" through the alleys and side streets if you are walking. The Strip is well lit in most areas, but try to avoid walking North of the Wynn Hotel after midnight, since there are more areas without casinos or even large businesses in that area, and there are areas of darkness with little or no security. Do not walk north of the Stratosphere, even in the daytime, and do not walk to downtown, the area between the Strip and downtown is not safe. Take a bus or taxi instead. Buy or print out a Las Vegas Strip Map so you know where you going.
Have fun in Las Vegas. It really is an incredibly safe city, all things considered.

Article Source: http://www.worldofarticles.net

Mike McDougall has lived in the Las Vegas area for 20 years, and his website, Strip Map of Las Vegas has a detailed collection of Las Vegas Strip Maps that are designed to help visitors find hotels, stores, restaurants, banks and more on and near the Las Vegas Strip.
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