Increase in Prostitution Arrests in Las Vegas: Experts Attribute to Strict Enforcement
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) revealed a 50% rise in prostitution cases in May, as per Las Vegas TV channel KTNV. They compared prostitution offenses occurring between January 1 and May 31, 2023, with those occurring between the same time frame in 2024, noting 675 cases in 2023 and 1,007 cases in 2024. This is a 49.2% increase.
However, experts suggest this "increase" could be due to stricter law enforcement rather than an actual rise in prostitution activity. Law professor Robert Jarvis from Florida's Nova Southeastern University's Shepard College of Law claims that "we know the number of arrests has increased, we don’t know if that's because prostitution is on the rise or because the LVMPD has become more aggressive in cracking down on sex workers." He also speculates that the numbers could be skewed, possibly with low numbers in 2023 and high numbers in 2024.
Jarvis emphasizes the unreliability of these statistics, stating they "play right into the hands of ‘law and order’ candidates who can use them to claim there is a crisis."
When asked about the KTNV report, UNLV sociologist Barbara Brents, an expert on prostitution, said, "I would suspect it has a lot more to do with increasing arrests rather than increases in paid sex."
Professor Jarvis asserts that stricter penalties won't curb prostitution – they'll just drive the activity underground and make it more expensive and dangerous for everyone involved. He cites countries with harsh laws against prostitution that still experience prostitution as evidence. "As long as there is a demand, there will be people who fulfill the demand," explained Jarvis.
While Nevada has counties that allow legalized prostitution, Clark County, which houses Las Vegas, is not one of them. Jarvis questions why: "I think legalizing prostitution is a much better approach and is a win-win-win. Sex workers get the safety they need; customers get the peace of mind – no arrests, prostitutes regularly given health checks – they need; and the government gets the tax revenue it needs."
Jarvis also highlights the need for help for underage individuals involved in sex trafficking.
Both tourists and locals turn to sex work in Las Vegas, despite its illegality. Some meet customers in bars, on streets, through escort services, or through online platforms. Casinos in Vegas and elsewhere often try to clamp down on prostitution happening within their facilities.
Jarvis points out that tourists frequenting Vegas casinos are "a special case" because they come to the city to do things they wouldn't typically engage in at home. The city promotes this "anything goes" attitude, he said. "But empirical evidence shows there are many markets for sex work. Tourists and those attending conventions are just one of them."
Rather than focusing on enforcement, Brents suggests interventions for sex workers, offering resources like improved housing, healthcare, food, and mental health services to reduce the likelihood of individuals resorting to sex work due to dire circumstances. She notes that many tourist destinations have considerable prostitution, with casinos being no different from convention centers or hotels.
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