UPDATE: Las Vegas sheriff reveals inmate release amid COVID-19 outbreak, budget slashing begins

Victim advocate groups are applauding Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo's decision to release hundreds of non violent inmates to slow the spread of COVID-19 within the Clark County Detention Center.

4- INMATES....AT THE CLARK COUNTY DETENTIONCENTER TESTED POSITIVE....FOR "COVID-19"...THANKS FOR JOINING US..I'M... TRICIA KEAN.TODD HAS THE NIGHT OFF.LETS GET RIGHT TO.....13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER...JOE BARTELS...LIVE AT METRO POLICEHEADQUARTERS.... TONIGHT..AND JOE..MULTIPLE VICTIMS ADVOCATES AREOKAY....WITH THIS DECISION?THE ARE.I SPOKE TO SAFE NEST..WHO UNDERSTANDS..THE SITUATION...AND THE MOVE TO RELEASEINMATES..THEY ARE PARTICUALY GRATEFUL..THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCEOFFENDERS..WILL REMAIN LOCKED UP.IT'S A CITY WITHIN SIN CITY..THE CLARK COUNTY DETENTIONSOT: LIZ ORTENBURGER/CEOSAFENEST :43 "I DIDN'T SEE WHATOTHER CHOICE THEY HAD WE KNOWAS A COUNTRY WERE IN NEED OFREFORM AROUND HOW WE'REIMPRISONING PEOPLE." LIZORTENBURGER..IS THE CEO OF SAFENEST..ONE OF THE LARGEST..DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTERS INLAS VEGAS..THEIR FOCUS IS ON SAVINGLIVES...EVERYDAY.SOT: LIZ ORTENBURGER/CEOSAFENEST 1:37 "NO VIOLENTOFFENDERS ARE BEING RELEASEDAND THE SHERIFF SAIDSPECIFICALLY DOMESTIC VIOLENCEBECAUSE HE RECOGNIZES THE FEARTHAT WOULD PUT INTO ANY VICTIMTHAT IS TRYING TO NAVIGATE ANDTRY TO ESCAPE THAT EPIDEMIC OFDOMESTIC VIOLENCE." METRO POLICE SHERIFF JOE13 PERCENT..SINCE THE SHUTDOWN..AND STAY AT HOME ORDER WENTINTO PLACE A MONTH AGO..THAT'S 500 ADDITIONAL CALLSOFFICERS HAVE ANSWERED...SHERIFF JOE LOMBARDO LAS VEGASPOLICE 10:19 "AS SHERIFF MYPRIMARY CONCERN IS THE SAFETYOF THIS COMMUNITY THE PANDEMICHAS BEEN PRESENTED A POSITIONTHAT I HAD TO BALANCE PUBLICSAFETY AND HEALTH OF LVMPDPERSONNEL AS WELL AS THEINMATES." THE SHERIFF SAYS..VIOLENT OFFENDERS.INCLUDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE..AND DUI INMATES..WILL NOT BE LET OUT OF JAIL..AS PART OF THIS REDUCTIONPLAN...BUT ABOUT 300 WILL BE...IF CRITERIA ARE MET..INCLUDING..THE INMATES THAT HAVE SERVED 75PERCENT OF THEIR SENTENCE..ASST.SHERIFF CHRIS JONES LVMPD 12:15"INMATES THAT ARE MEDICALLYVULNERABLE AS YOU CAN IMAGINEWE WANT TO TRY AND GET THOSEOUT OF OUR CUSTODY BECAUSE THEYPRESENT AN EVEN GREATER THREATINMATE POPULATION FOR THE PASTYEAR AND A HALF..AND NOW..IS ABLE TO MEET SOCIALDISTANCING REQUIREMENTS..TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.AND TONIGHT WE GOT A STATEMENTFROM THE FOLKS OF MARSY'S LAWNEVADA...THAT'S THE CRIME VICTIM'S BILLOF RIGHTS..THAT WAS PASSED IN 2018...IT READS IN PART:"AS THIS UNPRECEDENTEDSITUATION PROMPTS LEADERS TOTAKE PRECAUTIONARY ACTIONS TOPROTECT INMATES, CORRECTIONSOFFICERS, CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES,AND PATROL OFFICERS, WE WILLALSO WATCH TO SEE THAT OURCITIZENS AND PAST VICTIMS ARENOT PUT INDANGER DUE TO COVID-RELATEDINMATE RELEASES AT ANY FACILITYIN NEVADAREPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWSSHERIFF LOMBARDO ALSOANNOUNCED....THE DEPARTMENT HAS LAIDOFF.....SEVERAL PART-TIME EMPLOYEES..RECRUITING HAS STOPPED....AND....THERE IS A HIRING FREEZE....AS WELL..

LOMBARDO SAYS....THEY ARE SAVING.....-17- MILLION-DOLLARS....THIS FISCAL YEAR..-12- METRO EMPLOYEES HAVETESTED POSITIVE....FOR COVID-19...BUT...NONE HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED..NEW AT -11-...