By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
- Las Vegas, Nev. — The LVMPD Juvenile Task Force, launched in 2024, works plainclothes to intervene earlywith at-risk teens, pairing investigations, mentorship and service referrals to keep youths from reoffending. Police1
- How it works: The unit focuses on proactive investigations, intervention, intelligence and information-sharing; examples include tattoo-removal help and job placement through local programs. Police1
- Why now: High-profile attacks by teens in 2023–2024 drove the response; juvenile arrests rose from 2,385 (2023)to 2,461 (2024). Police1
- Court shift: A new adult-court diversion, CERT (Creating Engagement through Resources and Treatment), gives some 14–17-year-olds tried as adults a last-chance alternative to prison; excludes sex offenses, arson and Category A felonies (e.g., murder). Police1
LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says it is moving upstream of youth violence with a Juvenile Task Force that blends targeted enforcement and hands-on mentorship to redirect teens before they become repeat offenders.
Created in 2024 amid concern over youth-involved homicides and assaults, the task force operates mostly in plainclothesand centers on four pillars: proactive investigations, intervention, intelligence gathering and information-sharingacross agencies. Supervisors say the aim is to meet teens at first contact, then connect them to services—from tattoo removal to job programs—so they can visualize a life outside crews and retaliatory violence. Police1
The unit emerged after headline-grabbing cases, including the deadly 2023 assaults that shook the valley. While the task force is still new and hasn’t published outcome metrics, LVMPD annual data show juvenile arrests increasing from 2,385 (2023) to 2,461 (2024), underscoring both the scale of the challenge and the urgency to intervene earlier. “Behind every number is a life,” one supervisor said, describing success as “getting ahead of the action.” Police1
Courts are adjusting, too. District Judge Jacqueline Bluth launched CERT—Creating Engagement through Resources and Treatment—in January for certain 14–17-year-olds certified to adult court, offering intensive supervision and services as an alternative to prison. Sex offenses, arson, and Category A felonies (including murder) are excluded. Early implementation has been bumpy—reflecting the impulsivity and instability many youths face—but the court calls it a needed “last-chance” option. Police1
For LVMPD, the strategy hinges on tight coordination with schools, social-service nonprofits and probation, plus swift consequences for violent actors while expanding off-ramps for kids showing willingness to change. The department says the task now is sustaining mentorship long enough to make the new path stick. Police1