 Public Safety. Through the combined efforts of law enforcement, the legislature, the courts, and our communities, a continued decline in crime can be reported in Nevada. Violent crime dropped by 16.7 percent in 1998, while non-violent dropped by 8.5 percent. The overall crime rate is 9.6 percent lower than last year. During 1998, there were 2,497 full-time sworn municipal personnel in Nevada, providing 1.37 officers per 1,000 resident for urban population areas. There were 1,010 full-time sworn deputies employed by Nevada's 16 sheriff's department in 1998, and 382 troopers with the Nevada Highway Patrol. The ratio of enforcement personnel for every 1,000 population in the rural areas was 2.81. Statewide, there were 3,889 full-time sworn law enforcement officers in 1998. This represents an overall ratio of 2.1 officers per 1,000 Nevada residents. |