We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. The Fox News report blamed Ashevilles left-leaning politicians for the citys purported violent crime problem. All rights reserved. We're already in the top 10% of violent cities in America.". According to the police, four people broke into a business in the 100 block of South Tunnel Road early Thursday morning. But the violence, the mayor said, is fairly isolated in our community. Joshua Kirk Spurgeon and Franklin Hairr (Courtesy of Asheville Police Department). DEMOCRAT-RUN TOURIST TOWN IN NORTH CAROLINA SEES VIOLENT CRIME SPIKE AS POLICE DWINDLE: PERFECT STORM, A dawn view of the skyline in Asheville, North Carolina, which has seen rising trends of violent crime in recent years. Asheville Watchdogsent the police department a list of questions about the increases: How many are drug- or gang-related? In 2021, while Ashevilles police force was drastically reduced, violent crimedecreased. Community Crime Map automatically syncs with the Asheville Police Departments records system to keep crime information up-to-date. APD made international headlines in June 2021 when they announced they would no longer respond in-person to 911 calls about theft, fraud or trespassing after losing a third of their force. Biltmore Forest cop charged with child sex crime in South Carolina "The Asheville Police Department takes this very, very seriously," Capt. or redistributed. Are armed gang members or drug dealers coming into Asheville from Charlotte, Atlanta or other cities? or redistributed. Have any assaults been random, aimed at residents or tourists? Cities across the country are hiring after losing officers in the past couple of years. Heres what the stats do say about crime in Asheville and whos at risk: Herrmann reviewed Ashevilles crime statistics forAsheville Watchdog. What are the demographics of the offenders and victims, and are the weapons being used mostly guns? Anonymous tips can be sent by texting TIP2APD to 847411. Updated: Apr 25, 2022 / 11:12 AM EDT ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) The Asheville Police Department arrested two people Thursday and is continuing to search for two more suspects. "Even though we were making good strides in the community and reducing the crime rate, we still saw ourselves coming in as a negative in the community in the eyes of some of the leftist politicians that were getting elected at that time," Duncan said. There is also evidence of increased Mexican drug cartel activity in the area, according to multiple law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News Digital. Do tell. And I think the community that is there now doesn't have that resolve. Asheville People who live in Asheville generally consider the northeast part of the city to be the safest. Xpress needs help, too. Manheimer said some people suspect crimes in Asheville are going unreported because of the police departments decision, beginning in June 2021, tono longer respondin-person to calls about theft, fraud and other non-serious crimes due to staffing shortages. Legal Statement. The 31% increase is not current. Hair ran away from the scene, according to police. Asheville Watchdogdug into the citys crime statistics and found violent crime in Asheville disproportionately affects Black residents, especially young Black residents. Robberies are also up, 29 percent. I love Asheville and everything it offers but am sad to see the decline. Asheville has so far seen 11 homicides in 2022, setting it on pace to surpass the homicide rate of 2021 and 2020. The jail population did decline, especially during the worst of Covid, as some non-violent inmates awaiting trial were released. We havent really seen as you would call it the cartel, he said. Buncombe County Courthouse, left, and Asheville City Hall, right, both of which are in the Downtown Asheville Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. More people today are armed with weapons and guns, said Miller, an Asheville native. And the most recent one Duncan, who retired as sheriff in 2018, ran the department for 12 years, replacing Bobby Lee Medford. (Fox News Digital). Market data provided by Factset. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When Justin Wilson, who served a decade as an APD community resource officer, resigned in August 2020 to begin a new career, he sent a letter to the community he served, apologizing to them and explaining that the job had "taken a toll on my personal life." #24 in Best Places to Retire. He also said Antifa and activists were active in Asheville and described the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 as riots.. WebThe Citizen-Times, Asheville Sentencing: Alex Murdaugh gets life in prison in murder of wife, son Biltmore Forest cop charged with child sex crime in South Carolina Rezoning But as far as Asheville being safe, I think its safe.. (pawel.gaul via Getty Images). There certainly are people that are at higher risk, Manheimer said. Crime statistics dont provide the full picture of crime in a city. Herrmann, a former crime analyst supervisor with the New York City Police Department, said he looked at crime statistics in cities with liberal and conservative majorities last year and found no discernible difference. Zack told Fox News that Asheville is operating with nearly 42 percent fewer officers every single day. The department has 61 vacancies out of 238 sworn officers and another 26 in training or on leave, Davis said. Sixty percent of voters overall consider crime a major issue in the lead-up to the midterm elections 52% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans, according to an August poll from Pew Research. Last updated or reviewed on October 24, 2022. More people today are armed with weapons and guns, said Miller, an Asheville native. (Fox News Digital). APD Chief David Zack told Fox News Digital that the reasons behind the steady flood of resignations in his department are complicated and multi-faceted. Zack also said fentanyl in the region has gotten "out of control," and that the amount they have been taking off the street is "alarming." I do agree the politics seem liberal, but I dont live here for the politics. Furr was charged with conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense and felony possession of stolen property. Another chyron proclaimed TOWN BECOMING HUB OF ANTIFA. The segment featured ex-Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, a former Democrat who blamed leftist politicians for what he said was anti-police sentiment in Asheville. Youre not safe in your own home. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Since the beginning of this year, violent crime is increasing, Davis said. Jon Brown is a writer for Fox News Digital. Is downtown safe? "Our staff is working around the clock to follow up on instances of reports that have been taken.". There were plenty of Republican-mayor cities with crime also going up, he said. Among many other features, SimpliCity provides crime statistics for the address. The Asheville Police Department is excited to announce a new free tool to help the public stay informed about crime in Asheville. CRIME SOARS IN DEM-RUN TOURIST TOWN, said the chyron. The Asheville Police crime dashboard shows crimes against people down 10 percent in the past year and crimes against property down 20 percent. They really didn't get to speak, and they really didn't get anything done.". And the reference to Asheville being among the most violent cities came from an analysis, also based on 2020 data, that combined all violent crimes a potentially misleading way to view the statistics, said Christopher Herrmann, an assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. Information provided is the type of crime, the date the crime occurred, block-level address and the incident number. Buncombe County Courthouse, left, and Asheville City Hall, right, both of which are in the Downtown Asheville Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On July 4, a day after receiving a threatening email signed "ANTIFA," the APD arrested two suspects for allegedly attempting to bomb the former site of the Vance Monument, an obelisk dedicated to North Carolina's Civil War-time governor. Ongoing Violent Issues: Person Shot 10 Times In Tourist NC City Lets Eat at Waynes Lunchbox in Spindale, N.C. 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The protests that roiled Asheville that summer were especially tense, with APD officers decked out in riot gear engaging in an hours-long standoff with protesters on a bridge leading into the city. Joey Reece, who is now retired after serving 12 years as a state trooper and another 22 years as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the area, reflected sadly to Fox News Digital how Asheville has declined since he grew up there. Aggravated assaults are up 44% over the same period last year, and domestic-related aggravated assaults are up 64%, Davis said. Its primarily attributable to the rise in aggravated assaults.. Story tips can be sent to jon.brown@fox.com. WebAsheville, North Carolina Crime Rate & Safety. "And the first people who quit coming to those meetings were the people within the community. You mean to tell me that Fox news manipulated statistics to fit the narrative of their agenda? Asheville news Skyline of downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Get out! Your chance of being a victim of crime in Asheville may be as high as 1 in 18 in the central neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 51 in the northeast part of the city. Using the tool residents can view a map and grid with all of the crimes in their area and sign up for neighborhood watch reports that automatically email a breakdown of recent crime activity. Community Crime Map allows users to choose a date range to view criminal activity (up to one year), to select which crimes to view and the opportunity to sign up for a neighborhood watch report that automatically generates an email breakdown of recent criminal activity specific to a particular area. Community Crime Map allows users to choose a date range to view criminal activity (up to one year), to select which crimes to view and the opportunity to sign up for a neighborhood watch report that automatically generates an email breakdown of recent criminal activity specific to a particular area. Fox News recently told a national audience that Asheville has seen a 31 percent increase in violent crime in the last five years. Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Buncombe County, North Carolina, and has seen a 31% surge in violent crime per 100,000 people from 2016 to 2020. See here for our terms of service. The Asheville Policecrime dashboardshows crimes against people down 10% in the past year and crimes against property down 20%. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In a Facebook post, officers said that would be enough fentanyl for 625,000 lethal doses. Asheville, North Carolina Multiple local law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News Digital laid partial blame for the deteriorating condition of a North Carolina tourist town on the city's liberal political leadership and on left-wing activists who undermine police. Democrat-run tourist town sees 200% surge in break-ins amid Support for law enforcement is a key issue among voters both in North Carolina and throughout the U.S. as crime surges in cities nationwide. But I would have to think they would be more of the kind of smaller, petty types of things, not violent crime.. Are armed gang members or drug dealers coming into Asheville from Charlotte, Atlanta or other cities? The crime information can be viewed on a map or a data grid. Placing Asheville's situation within the context of trends present in police departments across the U.S., he said the loss of officers accelerated following the protests that took place in the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020. An Asheville Police Department vehicle parked in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. the mere fact that this is being presented nationally is disturbing and humilating. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Violent crime murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault went down in Asheville in 2021. ASHEVILLE - A lieutenant with the Biltmore Forest Police Department turned himself in after he was charged with a child sex crime in South Asheville police spokesman Bill Davis said the department has had 16 robberies involving theft of a vehicle since the beginning of 2021. Asheville It only takes a moment. 0:57. Youre not safe in your community. Everything seems to be in line with the national trend, which was everyone had significant increases in 2020 when the pandemic hit and then some cities kept on going up a little bit in 2021, he said. The one positive trend in the report is a reduction in gun crime. Robberies are also up, 29%. Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Fox News recently told a national audience that Asheville has seen a 31 percent increase in violent crime in the last five years. Do the people involved have criminal histories for violence or drugs? https://mountainx.com/news/buncombe-shapes-plan-to-tackle-opioid-crisis/. A dawn view of the skyline in Asheville, North Carolina, which has seen rising trends of violent crime in recent years. The officer claimed Williams' office often doesn't charge criminals at all or reduces felony charges to misdemeanors. The robberies occurred in public and private places, including one-quarter in a street or alley, 16 percent in a residence, 15 percent in a parking lot or garage, and 10 percent in a convenience store. I truly hope that Asheville, NC being a very small tourist city, really does have a safety first attitude! "There certainly have been questions about support [for police] from elected officials, from the president of the United States right on down, so it's not just local leaders," he said. And its not typically random., Asheville Watchdog made three requests over two days to interview Asheville Police Chief David Zack about crime trends, but Davis said he has a very busy schedule., Zack did find time to talk to Fox News and said the exodus of more than 100 officers since May 2020 had limited the departments ability to be proactive and visible. Asheville was rated among the top 10 U.S. travel destinations according to Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards in 2016, and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority recently spent $1.3million in local tax dollars to advertise at the 2022 U.S. Open. Crime Map. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. I dont know if thats true or not, the mayor said. His letter was published on the front page of the local newspaper. Post Announcements News Police Asheville crime Asheville crime map Asheville Police crime map. Dixon was charged with felony possession of stolen property. What Ive learned over the years is you can apparently slice and dice crime data however youd like, Manheimer said. Evil exists in Asheville, officers are surrounded by it, and they do their best with what they have. When you tell me that your assaults are up, Im going to say you dont really know that because almost half of your assaults are probably not reported.. Asheville ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) The Asheville Police Department arrested two people Thursday and is continuing to search for two more suspects. And why did the tourists who overdosed on felonious drugs at the Grove Park last February not get charged? He also said Antifa and activists were active in Asheville and described the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 as riots.. "Officers overlook so many things because they know that it will go nowhere in court." Duncan said in the segment that crime started to climb as those leftist politicians set an agenda that included reducing the jail population. Cities across the country are hiring after losing officers in the past couple of years. He was quoted as saying, There certainly have been questions about support [for police] from elected officials, from the president of the United States right on down, so its not just local leaders.. This is a beautiful area and I hope that everyone will find a way to stop harming each other and visitors. Trends Analytics. I did see some peanuts being assaulted downtown the other day. It will be quite (humorous/tragic/surprising/expected?) Crime news: Asheville homicide suspect was just out of prison before murder charge; transferred back. Like other cities struggling with crime such as Los Angeles and New York City, Asheville has lost more than 100 officers since May 2020. Everything seems to be in line with the national trend, which was everyone had significant increases in 2020 when the pandemic hit and then some cities kept on going up a little bit in 2021, he said. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Fox News last week told a national audience that Asheville has seen a 31% increase in violent crime in the last five years. This is an ugly, racist, sexist comment, and its also BS. We understand, the web can be a dangerous place! Manheimer said some people suspect crimes in Asheville are going unreported because of the police departments decision, beginning in June 2021, to no longer respond in-person to calls about theft, fraud and other non-serious crimes due to staffing shortages. Violent crime murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault went downin Asheville in 2021. ? While NYC has seen its share of issues, he will not be returning to AVL. Asheville Police Department releases online crime statistics ", "After 10 years at APD, I can say confidently that APD officers are good people with good hearts," he wrote. Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Asheville, NC Manheimer said Ashevilles police department is understaffed, and were working hard to build back the ranks to be able to keep our community safe and respond to calls for service when the call is made.. Market data provided by Factset. Asheville once touted as a top Nesbitt said local Antifa have used Floyd's death "as an excuse to bring anarchy to this city," and pinpointed Firestorm Bookstore Co-op in West Asheville as the nexus of their activity.