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By Lieutenant Timothy O Mullins and Commander Tres Edenfield
Urban crime hotspots have long presented a dilemma for law enforcement, business owners, and city officials. Traditional policing, often reactive and stretched thin, may address symptoms of crime but struggles to reach the root causes. Fremont Street Experience (FSE), once a thriving part of downtown Las Vegas, had become one such hotspot — frequented by repeat offenders and plagued by quality-of-life crimes. In response, the City of Las Vegas took a bold step: the strategic implementation of a Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Team.
This article highlights the results of that effort, which has transformed Fremont Street through innovation, collaboration and targeted enforcement. It serves not only as a recognition of the POP Team’s work but also as a call to action for other agencies to consider adopting a similar model.
Why traditional policing wasn’t enough
For years, Fremont Street was known more for its problems than its potential — fights, trespassing, people sleeping where they shouldn’t and a constant sense of disorder. Everyone knew it, and despite repeated efforts to mitigate the crime, nothing seemed to stick. The community, including local residents, tourists and business owners, voiced increasing concerns, and economic activity in the area began to suffer. The shortcomings of conventional policing became evident. Addressing the same individuals and incidents repeatedly without a long-term plan was neither effective nor sustainable. Fremont needed more than presence — it needed a purpose-driven strategy.
Enter Problem-Oriented Policing
Problem-Oriented Policing provided a new framework. Rather than simply reacting to crime, POP emphasizes identifying patterns, understanding causes and crafting tailored interventions. With strong backing from city leadership and law enforcement executives, Fremont Street became the proving ground for this approach. According to the City of Las Vegas, within the first year of implementing POP strategies, violent crime dropped by 37% in partnership with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), while enforcement actions — arrests and citations — increased by 80.4% for the Deputy City Marshals. These numbers tell part of the story. What mattered more was the change in atmosphere. Businesses regained stability, community confidence grew, and officers were empowered to solve problems — not just respond to them.
Building the Fremont Street POP Team
The POP initiative began as a two-officer pilot program guided by the SARA model (Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment). Its early success during the first two quarters of 2024 expanded to a four-officer team supervised by a sergeant by mid-year. The team focused on chronic issues, repeat offenders and persistent environmental conditions that bred disorder.
A key enforcement tool was the Order Out Ordinance, authored by the City Attorney’s Office, with the support of the Sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which authorized up to six months of incarceration for individuals with repeat offenses in designated areas. This ordinance was not simply punitive; it gave officers a way to intervene in ongoing criminal behavior while leveraging legal backing to deter repeat infractions.
The team also leveraged specialized resources. The department’s K-9 unit for example, played a critical role in felony stops and evidence recovery, demonstrating how strategic deployments could enhance effectiveness in the field. Throughout 2024, the POP Team handled over 2,000 calls for service — ranging from priority arrests to outreach for individuals in crisis.
Collaboration was key
No POP strategy can succeed in isolation. Fremont Street’s transformation was only possible because of deliberate collaboration across agencies. The POP Team worked closely with the LVMPD’s Community Oriented Policing detail, the City Attorney’s Office, casino stakeholders and business improvement district leaders. These relationships helped align enforcement efforts with prosecutorial support and community needs.
Routine business check-ins, strategic patrols based on the Koper Curve principle, which recommends short, randomized visits to hot spots to enhance deterrence, regular safety briefings and the use of CAD-based crime trend analysis allowed the team to stay responsive. The POP Team wasn’t just in the area — they were integrated into it. That visibility fostered trust and accountability, both essential for long-term success.
Results that go beyond numbers
The measurable outcomes were clear: a dramatic increase in enforcement, a sharp drop in crime and a renewed sense of order. But the POP Team’s impact extended beyond statistics.
Citations for trespassing, often a key quality-of-life issue, rose by 54.5% — a direct reflection of the team’s focus on making the area safer and more welcoming. Despite this uptick in enforcement, downtown hotel and visitor occupancy remained stable throughout the year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. That stability was crucial — it meant enforcement did not drive people away. It brought them back.
Community surveys reflected this shift. Residents and tourists alike reported feeling safer, and business owners noted improved foot traffic and fewer disruptions. The POP Team issued 299 citations, made 123 arrests and connected nearly 200 individuals with social services, showing that enforcement and outreach could go hand-in-hand.
Additionally, the City Attorney’s Office reported that for 2024, 594 individuals were recommended for Order Out as part of their sentence, while 210 arrests were made for violation of the Order Out due to noncompliance. The top three underlying cases were Battery (103), Trespassing (93), and Obstructing a Peace Officer (79). These outcomes reinforce the ordinance’s role in maintaining order, supporting long-term deterrence, and offering a clear path of accountability for chronic offenders.
A model for other agencies
Fremont Street’s success is not unique — it is replicable. Agencies facing similar urban challenges can take several lessons from this initiative:
- Prioritize collaboration: Formalize relationships between police departments, prosecutors, business groups and outreach organizations. Sustained partnerships, not one-time agreements, are essential.
- Invest in training: Equip officers with the skills to analyze problems, communicate effectively with the public and use data to inform decisions. Standardized SARA templates and workshops can ensure consistency and innovation. The implementation of the Koper Curve can further enhance deployment strategies by focusing patrol presence during optimal time intervals, maximizing deterrence and resource efficiency.
- Leverage technology: Use CAD systems, crime mapping and mobile reporting to stay ahead of emerging trends. The quicker officers can identify changes, the more effectively they can respond.
- Ensure transparency: Annual reports that share data, highlight success stories and reflect community feedback help maintain trust and funding support.
- Secure resources: A POP Team isn’t just a reassignment — it’s a commitment. Dedicated personnel, including K-9s and outreach specialists, require sustained funding to be effective.
In his paper, Law Enforcement Should Adopt Problem-Oriented Policing, Frank Allocca Jr. notes that the strength of POP lies not only in its structure but in its philosophy: solving problems at their core, rather than reacting to symptoms. Agencies willing to embrace this mindset can expect meaningful results.
Conclusion
The Fremont Street POP Team proved that policing doesn’t have to be reactive. It can be strategic, data-driven and community-centered. With violent crimes down 37%, enforcement activity up 80.4% and public confidence on the rise, the results speak for themselves. This success wasn’t accidental. It came from leadership that believed in a better approach. From officers who were empowered to look beyond arrests and focus on solutions. And from a community that stepped forward as part of the process.
The impact was so clear that, in 2025, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assigned two of their own officers to the team, expanding it to six in a show of unified purpose and collaboration between the agencies. That decision wasn’t just operational — it was a show of trust, shared purpose and commitment to long-term progress. Problem-Oriented Policing works. Fremont Street showed us what’s possible. The question is: who’s ready to follow?
References
Allocca Jr., FF. (2024). Law Enforcement Should Adopt Problem-Oriented Policing.
City of Las Vegas (2024). Order Out Ordinance statistics. City of Las Vegas, City Attorney’s Office.
City of Las Vegas. (2024). FSE end-of-year statistics. City of Las Vegas, Department of Public Safety.
City of Las Vegas. (2024). DCM downtown overview: December 2024. City of Las Vegas, Department of Public Safety.
Koper CS. (1995). Just enough police presence: Reducing crime and disorderly behavior by optimizing patrol time in crime hot spots. Justice Quarterly, 12(4), 649–672.
About the authors
Timothy Mullins is a law enforcement executive with 26 years of experience, currently serving as a Lieutenant with the City of Las Vegas Department of Public Safety. He oversees the Fremont Street Substation, the Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Team and K9 operations — delivering innovative strategies in one of Las Vegas’s most dynamic, high-profile environments. His leadership has earned recognition, including a City Proclamation for leading an undercover operation targeting illegal animal breeding and a City of Las Vegas SPOT Award for his role during Operation S.A.F.E.R., which significantly reduced violent crime on Fremont Street.
Tim began his career with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, developing expertise across patrol, field training, crisis intervention, investigations, corrections and community policing. He led and instructed over 1,000 Southern Nevada officers in crisis intervention, coordinated mental health response programs, and helped implement community-based solutions to complex challenges.
A committed lifelong learner, Tim holds three master’s degrees from Columbia Southern University: A Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Criminal Justice, an MPA in Emergency Management and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration and a graduate certificate from the University of Virginia. Tim is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session #294).
In addition to his municipal service, Tim is a Navy Lieutenant (O-3), currently assigned as Security Commander for MSRON 1 – Charlie Company in Alameda, California. He began his military career as a U.S. Marine Corps before transitioning into the Navy Reserve, serving as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer. His service includes assignments in force protection, anti-terrorism, and maritime security operations, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Commander Tres Edenfield is a veteran law enforcement leader with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, bringing over 20 years of service marked by operational excellence, team development and a deep commitment to officer wellness. A graduate of the FBI National Academy (Session #294), Edenfield has served in diverse roles, including patrol, special operations and senior tactical leadership, where he has consistently led by example and cultivated a culture of trust, performance, and resilience.
With more than 15 years on the agency’s SWAT team — including as Senior Team Leader — Commander Edenfield has overseen high-risk operations requiring critical decision-making under pressure. His deep tactical knowledge, combined with a calm and steady presence, has made him a respected mentor and instructor. He has trained hundreds of officers in tactical readiness, decision-making, and operational planning, always emphasizing precision, safety, and accountability.
In addition to his tactical credentials, Edenfield is a leading voice in the advancement of law enforcement training through neuroscience. He developed and teaches a course on Mindset and Brain Science, focused on how officers process sensory input and make rapid judgments during life-threatening situations. By introducing principles of mental rehearsal, neural conditioning, and stress inoculation, his work has contributed to better-prepared, more confident first responders.
Equally passionate about officer mental health, Commander Edenfield has been a champion of peer support and wellness programming within his agency. Drawing from his own experiences, he shares openly about the emotional challenges of the profession and has become a sought-after speaker and advocate for shifting law enforcement culture toward transparency, empathy, and proactive self-care.
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