NC tourist town rocked by violence in wake of defund police movement rolls out plan to combat rise in crime

Violent crime in Asheville, North Carolina, has increased in recent years as a the city police force faces a staffing crisis

City leaders of a North Carolina tourist town that has been plagued with rising violent crime in recent years announced a 60-day initiative last week to improve conditions in its downtown district amid a crisis in police staffing.

The City of Asheville said they are taking "targeted steps" to address the rising number of incidents affecting public safety with the initiative slated to begin May 1, according to a news release from city government.

"There are complex circumstances contributing to the safety issues that Asheville is currently seeing downtown and it will take a community response to address these complexities," the city said. "Multiple City departments are coordinating a City government response and we also need participation from community leaders and partners to address all the factors contributing to the rise in crime."

The announcement comes as violent crime in Asheville, a town of approximately 90,000 people in the Blue Ridge Mountains, has surged in recent years. Aggravated assaults rose by 21.8%, and armed robberies increased by 20% from 2021 to 2022, according to APD statistics.

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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. (pawel.gaul via Getty Images)

The city's new initiative will include increased law enforcement presence downtown, including foot, bike and vehicle patrols and enhanced security in parks. Authorities will also devote attention to keeping downtown clean by removing litter, needles and biological waste.

The city will also increasingly monitor areas in downtown where vagrancy, drug use and crimes are known to happen more frequently, such as parking garage stairwells and Pritchard Park. Authorities will also closely attend to enforcing laws against graffiti on public property and take measures to remove it quickly.

The city plans to work with Duke Energy to concentrate efforts to identify and replace streetlight outages, and will also partner with private and nonprofit organizations to identify key problem areas downtown and perform maintenance activities.

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An Asheville Police Department vehicle parked in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. (Fox News Digital)

The city is further launching a Community Responder Pilot Program led by the Asheville Fire Department, which aims "to support individuals in crisis and provide a more visible City public safety presence downtown." The program is slated to inform a long-term Community Responder initiative past the 60 days of the initiative, according to the city.

"During this 60-day period, city staff will be tracking and testing actions we hope will make for a safer downtown," City Manager Debra Campbell said. "The efforts we are taking will be tracked and regularly updated on a newly created Downtown Safety Initiative Page. At the end of the 60 days, staff will assess whether or not our actions are having an impact on downtown safety and determine next steps to support a safer downtown and city as a whole."

The announcement comes on the heels of the city's "Downtown Problem Solving Initiative," by which law enforcement with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office are assisting city police with patrolling downtown, according to local ABC affiliate WLOS.

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A dawn view of the skyline in Asheville, North Carolina, which has seen rising trends of violent crime in recent years. (Walter Bibikow via Getty Images)

"The approach that we’re taking is data-driven, and driven primarily with what we’ve seen with rising violent crime downtown but also rising property crime," Asheville Police Chief David Zack said last week, according to the outlet. The chief told Fox News Digital last fall that his department is straining to maintain visibility after more than 100 officers have left since May 2020.

Last week, a man was slashed in the neck at a bus stop downtown following an altercation with another man over a cigarette, according to police. The incident came a week after multiple armed robberies in the downtown area, which is famous for its historic architecture and eclectic restaurants.