Visitors to the Strip this past weekend would be forgiven for feeling like they’d stumbled onto a movie set near the Cosmopolitan and Bellagio. But it was no “Speed” sequel.
Playing out in real time Saturday on Las Vegas Boulevard, an armed and apparently mentally disturbed man opened fire on a double-decker bus, “for no apparent reason,” according to police. There was one fatality – Gary Breitling, a 57-year-old tourist from Sidney, Montana, who was visiting Las Vegas with his wife, and was struck in the chest. He later died at University Medical Center. A second victim had non-life-threatening wounds.
After a four-hour standoff with Metro SWAT and patrol officers who were controlling the scene, the alleged gunman, identified as Rolando Cardenas, stepped from the Regional Transportation Commission bus and surrendered without further incident.
Although there were fewer people to witness it, at about 3 a.m., inside the Bellagio, robbers wearing suits and animal masks took sledgehammers to the windows at the Rolex shop and made off with expensive merchandise. Three suspects, slowed when their get-away car wouldn’t start, were later arrested.
The unrelated incidents are hardly the first homicide or first robbery to occur in the resort corridor, and they surely won’t be the last. But whenever crimes are committed on the Strip, they almost immediately become international news. The fatal shooting, in fact, was the lead story on at least one national television news broadcast.
Such sensational play comes with the territory. In an odd way, it’s actually a testament to generations of successful marketing of Las Vegas to the world. What happens in Las Vegas plays extra large just about everywhere.
When an act of violence occurs on the Boulevard, inevitably someone raises the issue of whether the Las Vegas they know, the place which they see on television and in movie theaters, and where they vacation, is safe. We’re not talking about the Las Vegas which locals experience every day, but the one Hank and Harriet from Hoboken enjoy and tell all their friends about when they get back home.
In fact, Las Vegas, despite drawing endless millions of visitors each year, is one of the most security conscious places on the planet, and that makes it a safer place. That its casinos are gargantuan banks that never close is just one reason for the private army of enforcement officers and high-tech surveillance.
Engendering a sense of hedonistic freedom while maintaining a secure environment can be tricky, but I think it’s one of the most important aspects of the modern gaming experience. And, with some exceptions, it’s something most resorts manage to pull off, successfully avoiding the appearance of being heavy-handed about protecting their money.
Security is not as simple as presenting a show of force, or linking with Metro, the Gaming Control Board, and the FBI. In a 2015 essay published on the FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin site, professor Kenneth Peak, of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nevada summarized some of the complexities and challenges casino security officials face.
“With the growth of legalized gambling comes an increase in the need for private security and surveillance officers,” Peak observed. “These officers are unique, yet they have much in common with public police officers. Private police differ from local law enforcement officers in that they can detain suspects and interview them without Mirandizing them. These private officers must address issues of cheating, stealing, and undesirable individuals entering and occupying casino property. Both private and public officers face risks and challenges every day. They sometimes encounter suspected gang members or armed offenders. In addition, they must tackle training, technology, and liability issues. Through all of this, it is important for casino security and surveillance officers and local police to work together to solve crimes by sharing technological data and factual information.”
Las Vegas, at least the one most tourists experience, is an ever-changing movie set where roles are played and fantasies are entertained almost always without incident. Security, seen and unseen, is a big reason it continues to be so popular.
John L. Smith is a longtime Las Vegas journalist and author. Contact him at jlnevadasmith@gmail.com. On Twitter: @jlnevadasmith.
