Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill delivered his annual State of the Department address this week, announcing two major initiatives: a global intelligence network called Project Meridian and an artificial intelligence system designed to connect every technology platform the department operates.

The announcements came alongside statistics showing significant reductions in violent crime. Officer-involved shootings dropped from 17 in 2024 to seven in 2025 — a 58 percent decrease. Homicides fell to 90, down from 158 three years ago when McMahill took office — a 43 percent reduction and the first time LVMPD has recorded fewer than 100 homicides in decades.

Violent crime overall declined 4.3 percent. Property crime fell 9.4 percent. The newly formed Violent Gun Crime Unit investigated 249 nonfatal shooting cases in 2025 with a 98 percent solve rate, according to McMahill.

Traffic fatalities increased by two deaths in 2025 compared to the prior year. McMahill called it the one area where the department struggled and announced plans to expand traffic enforcement squads.

Project Meridian, McMahill said, will create a 24/7 global intelligence and counterterrorism capability that includes a real-time analysis desk staffed by seven analysts embedded in the department’s Fusion Watch center, an expansion of the counterterrorism unit, more than $1 million in upgrades to the Fusion Center workspace, and LVMPD personnel stationed in key cities and international locations to connect with partner agencies that have experienced terrorist attacks.

McMahill cited recent incidents including a foiled ISIS-inspired plot, a credible school threat, the discovery of a biohazard lab linked to a foreign country, and bombings at Trump Tower and Piero’s. He said homeland security threats have increased as instability overseas travels through online platforms into local communities.

The sheriff said LVMPD can no longer rely on federal intelligence resources or the New York Police Department’s intelligence-sharing apparatus, which he described as less robust than in prior years. The global network will be funded through private donations and will allow LVMPD to assess threats immediately rather than waiting days or weeks for federal reports.

The second initiative, called the KVN Project, will build what McMahill described as an AI brain that interconnects the department’s technology systems. The system will allow investigators to search databases using suspect descriptions, vehicle information, modus operandi, and location data while cross-referencing prison release records to identify potential suspects in active cases.

McMahill said the AI system will shorten internal affairs investigations, reduce time officers spend on paperwork, and create timelines automatically. He credited a futurist committee within the department — including officers Cali Burns, Monica Pondi, Shiloh Johnson, Chris Woods, and Jordan Mitchell — with developing the concept and turning it into an actionable plan.

The sheriff also announced a focus on unhoused populations, noting that 13 people died in street encampments in 2025 — a 44 percent increase from the prior year. He said the department will work with UMC’s crisis stabilization center to connect unhoused individuals to resources and reduce violence in encampments.

McMahill highlighted the department’s wellness program, noting LVMPD went two years without an officer suicide — a first in his 35-year career. The department now employs seven clinicians handling more than 450 visits per month. He announced a shift toward proactive wellness training beginning in the academy rather than reactive intervention after crisis points.

The department operates a drone operations center, has acquired 10 Tesla Cybertrucks with 10 more on the way, deployed a device called the Grappler that stops vehicles during pursuits by dropping a net over tires, uses ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology, and has equipped SWAT with armored vehicles and facial recognition systems.

McMahill thanked Clark County Commission Chairman Mike Naft, commissioners Tick Segerblom and Jim Gibson, Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley, city councilmembers Brian Knudsen, Karen Kelly, and Francis Allen-Palenske, and police chiefs from Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Las Vegas for their support.