The Most Common Crimes at UNLV

Thinking about attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas? This campus presents a metropolitan oasis in one of Nevada’s southern desert valleys, but it may not be the safe haven parents like to envision for students. Like other colleges, UNLV has its share of petty crimes—scraped car doors with no notes left behind and students joyriding on campus lawnmowers. A deeper look into the UNLV Department of Police Services’ Student Right to Know Case Log Daily Report, however, reveals crimes that may give students cause for concern. Here’s a look at UNLV crimes that have been the most common in the last six months.

UNLV Crime #1: Theft

Out of the UNLV crimes on campus, the most commonly committed was theft. There have been 139 total counts of larceny, grand and petit, on campus since March. Petit larceny on campus includes car burglaries, shoplifting from school stores, and stolen personal items, such as:

  • Wallets
  • Purses
  • Backpacks
  • Mobile devices
  • Skateboards, bicycles, and bike parts
  • Designer sunglasses
  • Keys

Since June, there have been several reports of petit theft, obstructing a police officer, and trespassing. Stolen items include employees’ personal property, shoplifting from the 99 Cent Store, student Rebel cards, bicycles, wallets, money, iPhones, and three broken-into lockers. The report does not indicate how many victims retrieved their stolen items or how many suspects police apprehended.

Grand theft, or theft where the value of the property stolen exceeds $950, has also occurred on the UNLV campus in the last six months—67 times to be exact. Since June, there have been 22 reported counts of grand larceny. Fourteen of the total counts were grand theft auto of student and employee vehicles. Items stolen in grand theft counts included laptops, campus golf carts and lawnmowers, campus video equipment, clothing, and expensive bicycles.

UNLV Crime #2: Hit-and-Run

There were 31 reported incidents of hit-and-runs on the UNLV campus during the last six months. These cases usually involved property damages, where another driver struck a parked student or employee vehicle and left the scene. Most of these incidents occurred in one of the campus’s parking garages (either Cottage Grove or Tropicana). Other reports cited students getting into collisions where one driver fled the scene.

In one incident in April, a red van struck a pedestrian employee on Cottage Grove Avenue and did not stop. Another hit-and-run involving a pedestrian occurred in July on the crosswalk at Harmon Avenue and Tarkanian Road. The report does not indicate if there were any injuries involved in these hit-and-run accidents.

UNLV Crime #3: Vandalism

The third-most common crime at UNLV during the previous six months was vandalism, with 29 counts reported. These incidents included four counts of slashed vehicle tires, spray-painted vehicles, graffiti, vending machine vandalism, broken windows, and burglarized apartments. Most vandalism cases in the last three months involved damage to school property. There is at least one report of destruction of student property.

Other Crimes on Campus

While violent crimes are not the most common UNLV crimes, they are still worth noting. There have been three reported incidents of assault in the last six months. Two were knife/cutting weapon assaults and one was sexual assault. On September 6, a campus security authority reported an incident of sexual assault in a student residential facility.

There have also been six counts of students possessing dangerous weapons on campus and 12 counts of disturbing the peace. Peace charges have included threat to life, harassment, stalking, intimidation, and disorderly conduct. If you are a current UNLV student, it is important to know the common UNLV crimes to stay safe on campus this semester and keep the University Police Department’s phone number on speed dial.

If you are being accused of a crime, please contact the criminal defense attorneys of De Castroverde Law Group for help.