In Vegas, eye in the sky guards money, not guests
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Hotel maid Brandi Patrick was chased down the hallway at the Flamingo casino last year by a nearly naked man. She said she had to lock herself in a cleaning closet and, as the man rattled the handle, fumble around in her pockets to find her cellphone so she could call security.
She said she’s haunted by the thought of what might have happened if she hadn’t had her phone. “Something could happen and no one would know it `till the end of the shift,” she said.
Las Vegas casinos — some of the most closelywatched spaces in the world — don’t have video cameras in guest room hallways, an absence that hotel workers like Patrick, patrons and prosecutors say can act as a green light for crime.
Casino bosses say there is no need for extra security: America’s playground boasts more cameras per square foot than any airport or sports arena in the country, with thousands of high-tech lenses watching the gambling floors, lobbies and elevators.
All four major Strip casino operators, however, declined further comment.
Closed circuit “eye in the sky” cameras hidden behind plastic ceiling domes are omnipresent in pop culture portrayals of Sin City. They play a pivotal role during the heist in 2001’s `’Ocean’s Eleven” and in the reconstruction of a crazy night in the 2009 buddy comedy “The Hangover.”
Yet, The Associated Press found that 23 of the 27 major Strip casinos have no surveillance in hotel hallways or elevator landings. All but four of the 27 hotels are owned by MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment Corp., Las Vegas Sands Corp. or Wynn Resorts Ltd.
The AP arrived at the tally by interviewing casino officials and visiting the hotels that wouldn’t comment. Only Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, the MGM Grand and Tropicana Las Vegas monitor the halls above the gambling floor.
“People have a false sense of safety when they go to a casino,” security consultant Fred Del Marva said. “You think, ‘I’m going to Bellagio, they have 2,000 surveillance cameras, so I’m going to be safe.’ And you’re wrong. The level of security at the hotel level is zero.”