The numbers don’t lie.

Nevada’s smart on crime approach is working. Our latest crime statistics tell a truth that runs counter to the “tough on crime” rhetoric used by Gov. Joe Lombardo in his State of the State address. When you’ve been working on legislative policy a long time, you keep receipts. And the facts show that crime is down across the board.

Violent crime is down.

According to preliminary state data from the past year, homicide is down 18.4 percent from 2023, robbery has fallen 19.6 percent, aggravated assault has decreased by 6.7 percent and sexual assault has dropped 4.9 percent. 

Property crime is down.

Burglary has dropped 12.3 percent, larceny 7.9 percent and vehicle theft is down a remarkable 30.6 percent.

All this progress comes at a time when other states are grappling with surges in crime. But Nevada took a different approach and decided to be smart on crime — and the numbers show it’s working. 

*Note: Dashed lines correspond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fluctuations during this time match nationwide trends.

*Note: Dashed lines correspond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fluctuations during this time match nationwide trends.

These downward trends are no accident. In 2019, Nevada passed AB236, which was originally brought about by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, who sought better solutions for the safety of our communities. AB236 passed with bipartisan support, and then Sheriff Lombardo played an active part in making changes to the bill before Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak signed it into law. 

AB236 is doing what it was designed to do — make the criminal justice system more efficient and fair by reserving prison space for those convicted of serious violent crimes, while emphasizing treatment and community-based programs for people whose infractions stem largely from substance use or mental health challenges. Since passing, crime has gone down, the overall prison population has shrunk by 16 percent compared to 2019, and valuable police resources have been redirected to focus on more serious crimes in our communities. 

Despite all these successes, the governor signaled in his State of the State address that he wants to return to a decades-old, out-of-touch, costly “lock ‘em up” philosophy that has never worked.

For example, in 2023, Gov. Lombardo signed a bill increasing penalties for fentanyl possession — yet we have clear evidence that increasing penalties alone doesn’t work. Since late 2023, Nevada has experienced an increase in overdose fatalities, even after implementing tougher fentanyl penalties, while the rest of the nation has experienced a decrease. 

Because addiction, at its core, is a public health crisis. Heavier criminal penalties often funnel more people into prison instead of offering them the treatment and support they need to escape the cycle of substance use.

Drug possession and misuse are symptoms of deeper issues — homelessness, trauma, lack of health care and poverty. Prison sentences don’t fix these issues; more often than not, prison exacerbates these issues while tearing apart families and communities. Instead, we should continue to refine our “smart on crime” measures — along with increasing access to mental health treatment and rehabilitation — all of which offer a far more sustainable path for our future.

It is a sad truth, that the Clark County Detention Center is Nevada’s largest mental health facility because Nevada currently ranks 51st (data includes the District of Columbia) in the nation for its high prevalence of mental illness and low rates of care access. This dead last ranking reflects geographic barriers and a shortage of mental health professionals. We cannot incarcerate our way out of our public health crisis, especially when nearly 87 percent of Nevadans live in areas officially designated as mental health professional shortage zones. 

In contrast, the specialty courts and other innovative programs we are doing in Nevada have shown promising results. These alternatives — whether drug courts, mental health courts, veterans courts or DUI courts — address the individual circumstances that so often fuel criminal behavior. Participants gain targeted counseling, medication-assisted treatment and structured support. 

As these resources have expanded over the years, more Nevadans have been able to confront the root causes of their behavior, rather than simply cycling through jails and prisons. Simply put, these programs work. 

So, why would the governor want to restrict these successful programs now?

We shouldn’t move backwards, as the governor’s State of the State suggests. If the governor is really serious about public safety, then it would be best to keep doing precisely what Nevada is already doing — using strategies rooted in data, compassion and careful resource allocation while leaving tired old political “tough on crime” rhetoric in the past where it should be relegated to the dustbins of history. 

Let’s not create bad policy that will worsen the budget shortfall for the already cash-strapped Nevada Department of Corrections.

Instead, let’s continue on our successful path of supporting mental health and substance abuse treatments, while giving law enforcement the tools to spend less time on public health crises and more time on fighting crime.

John Piro is the assistant public defender for Clark County.

The Nevada Independent welcomes informed, cogent rebuttals to opinion pieces such as this. Send them to [email protected].