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FBI concerned with soaring Vegas murder rate

Posted at 7:31 PM, May 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-13 21:46:49-04
The soaring murder rate in Las Vegas is now catching the attention of FBI director James Comey.
 
Comey says, the increase in crime could be because officers fear their actions could be caught on camera.  
 
Some have called it the "Ferguson Effect," where an increase in documenting police's every move has them reluctant to be aggressive in their policing, in turn causing an increase in crime.  
 
One grieving father, William Robinson, says he now captures police activity on his cell phone, after his daughter was killed last year, and he got very little information from police.  
 
21-year-old Shelby Robinson was killed in a double homicide, next to her boyfriend, 32-year-old Jamel Colbert, in November of 2015.  
 
Shelby's father says he waited for 6 hours to hear any information from police, and felt like they abandoned him. He says after losing his trust in police, it's important for the public to hold them accountable.  
 
"It's real important for the public to know what's going on, because all we know is what police tell us," says Robinson.  
 
Since Shelby's death, Las Vegas police have seen an increase in crime, investigating over 60 homicides so far this year.  
 
It coincides with a surge in the murder rate in several other cities around the U.S.
 
Las Vegas police do not agree with Comey's theory, that the increase in crime could be caused by viral videos. They said in a statement, "We do not see a trend in de-policing, and our officers are doing more proactive work than every before." 
 
Comey says he'd like to see the national media devote more coverage to the growing problem.