Crime in Clark County

While violent crime in Metro’s jurisdiction is down about 7.5 percent as whole this year, Lombardo expressed frustration.

That’s because the 100 homicides under investigation by Metro detectives so far this year represent a 17 percent uptick compared to the same time in 2017. Property crime is down about 3.5 percent.

From domestic violence killings to child slayings, the agency’s leadership is left wondering why there’s a rise and what can be done, Lombardo said.

Referencing the recent homicides of two 3-year-old children — allegedlywith the involvement of their mothers — Lombardo said, “It’s frustrating why they would resort to that when there are resources available. Are we lacking to communicate (it to the families)?”

There are “people in possession of weapons and attempting to create harm to police officers, and we hadn’t seen the level of concern previously,” Lombardo said.

And it’s not just crimes against police, but also against civilians.

The increase is something that’s being discussed in law enforcement circles across the country, Lombardo said.

“The level of brazen violence is increasing… it’s showing a continuance. It’s not just like a flash in a pan that’s going to go away kind of thing,” he said.