TLDR Clark County put up digital signs on the Las Vegas Strip on October 16 saying tourists do not have to pay street performers for photos. The signs tell visitors who feel threatened to find a police officer or call 911. The campaign follows a September incident where two showgirl impersonators allegedly attacked a North Carolina couple after a $20 photo. Critics have suggested stronger enforcement, undercover operations and permits for street performers. The two women charged in the alleged assault are scheduled to return to court on December 3.
Clark County has put up new digital signs on the Las Vegas Strip. The messages remind tourists that they do not have to pay street performers or costumed characters for photos.
The signs went up on electronic displays along Las Vegas Boulevard on October 16. They tell visitors they can watch performers or take pictures without leaving money.
The messages also tell anyone who feels threatened to find a police officer or call 911, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Clark County Responds to Strip Incident
Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft announced the campaign on social media on October 17. He asked visitors to remember that paying for photos with performers is not required.
County officials said the effort is about public safety. It aims to make clear the rights of pedestrians in an area where entertainers often approach tourists for tips.
The campaign follows an incident in September involving Eric Richards and Merihazel Walters. The couple, from Charlotte, North Carolina, had traveled to Las Vegas for their wedding.
They posed for pictures with two women dressed as showgirls outside the Paris Las Vegas. The couple paid $20, but the performers allegedly asked for more money.
According to a police report, one of the women, Jennifer Ortiz,