Officials Say Officer Shortage May be Causing Spike in Las Vegas Crime

From shootings on the Strip to the killing of a liquor store clerk who couldn't open a safe to an April weekend that saw five slayings in separate cases, crime is spiking in the shadows in Las Vegas - and spurring questions about causes and cures.

The local sheriff, police union officials and district attorney have various theories about what's behind the body count: 64 homicides by the end of April, compared with 29 killings after the first four months of 2015; 75 slayings as of Wednesday, compared with 45 by the same date last year.

They cite officer staffing levels; gang activity; jail release policies locally and in neighboring California; and a departmental reorganization after Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo was elected 18 months ago, the Associated Press reports.