Restoring Public Safety: Pahrump’s Homeless and Vagrant Crisis

Homelessness and vagrancy in Pahrump has boiled over into a public safety crisis. Daily stabbings and a homicide yesterday are just the latest in what has been a festering problem no one has wanted to address. When will the County enforce its vagrancy laws and restore public order? Concerns abound among members of the public who wish to safely use Petrack Park for its intended purposes. The town pool is far less safe for families and children as the homeless use the public facility for bathing and personal grooming. While compassion and long-term sustainable solutions are essential, public safety has to be the priority. From Nye County Title 9: 9.05.100: Vagrancy-Unlawful Acts It is unlawful for any person to engage in any of the following acts of vagrancy:

A. Go from house to house begging food, money or other articles, or seek admission to such houses upon frivolous pretext for no other apparent motive than to see who may be therein, or to gain an insight of the premises;

B. Keep a place where lost or stolen property is concealed;

C. Loiter in or about any toilet open to the public for the purpose of engaging in or soliciting any lewd or lascivious or any unlawful act;

D. Refuse to identify himself or herself and to account for his or her presence when requested by any peace officer so to do, if the surrounding circumstances are such as to indicate to a reasonable man that the public safety demands such identification;

E. Be found in any public place under the influence of any controlled substance in such a condition that he or she is unable to exercise care for his or her own safety or the safety of others, or by reason of his or her being under the influence of any controlled substance, interfere with or obstruct or prevent the free use of any street, sidewalk or other public way;

F. Prowl upon the private property of another, without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof, or while loitering, prowling or wandering upon the private property of another, peek in the door or window of any inhabited building or structure located thereon, without visible or lawful business with the owner or occupant thereof; or

G. Lie, sleep or doze on any street, sidewalk or alley or sleep or lodge in any building or structure, or automobile or other vehicle without owning the same or without permission of the owner or person entitled to possession of same; or

H. Sleep or doze in any designated public park in Nye County between the hours from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am daily including Ian Deutch Park, Simkins Park, Petrack Park and Kellogg Park (This prohibition will not apply if a person is sleeping during the restricted hours if they are present pursuant to a permit issued by a governmental agency); or I. Use a public street, highway, alley, lane, parkway, sidewalk or other right-of-way, whether such right-of-way has been dedicated to the public in fee or by easement, for lying, sleeping or otherwise remaining sitting thereon, except in the case of a physical emergency or the administration of medical assistance. (Ord. 548, 2019)