Violent crime has surged 34% since last year in Democrat-run Asheville, North Carolina, according to statistics released by city police following a Fox News Digital Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. South Carolina Upstate Spartans (16-14, 10-8 Big South) vs. UNC Asheville Bulldogs (25-7, 16-2 Big South) Charlotte, North Carolina; Saturday, 12 p.m. I dont know if thats true or not, the mayor said. Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Asheville, NC We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. ", ENTIRE NORTH CAROLINA POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIGNS AFTER NEW TOWN MANAGER IS HIRED, The Biltmore Estate, built in 1895, is the largest privately owned house in the U.S. and the biggest tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion. 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 down in Asheville in 2021. Popular southern tourist city turning 'completely lawless' under Youre not safe walking down the sidewalk. And thats not the case in Asheville., Fox News host Tucker Carlson last week took aim at Manheimer, whom he described as wearing complicated eyeglasses that all the girl bosses now wear. Under her leadership, Carlson claimed, Asheville as a beautiful place should have no crime, but it has a lot now. And he said Asheville had a lot of carjackings.. In 2021, while Ashevilles police force was drastically reduced,violent crimedecreased. Democrat-run tourist town in North Carolina sees violent crime Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. We hope youll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. UNC Asheville takes on South Carolina Upstate in Big South Youre not safe in your own home. Asheville Watchdog sent the police department a list of questions about the increases: How many are drug- or gang-related? The officer laid particular blame on Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams, a Democrat whose office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Each year, aggravated assaults made up the majority of Ashevilles violent crimes, accounting for about two-thirds to nearly three-quarters. Women accounted for nearly half of all violent crime victims in Asheville (46%), while men committed 80% of the crimes, according to data reported to the FBI for 2020, the latest year available. It is a continuation of this theme of, You should worry. 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. The Asheville Policecrime dashboardshows crimes against people down 10% in the past year and crimes against property down 20%. 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. Box 7148 Asheville, NC 28802 828-251-1122 Furr was charged with conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense and felony possession of stolen property. Asheville Local | News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | WLOS Nearly three-quarters were 29 or younger, and all but three were males. You can also search by neighborhood or along a street. But as far as Asheville being safe, I think its safe.. Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Spurgeon has been charged with conspiracy to obtain property by false pretense, possession of stolen goods, larceny after breaking & entering and felony breaking & entering, according to police. Ashevilles 5-year violent crime rate cited by Fox News, a 31 percent increase from 2016 to 2020, becomes a 15 percent increase from 2017 to 2021. Four police press releases or news reports in the past two years mentioned carjackings, including one inFebruary 2022, when police said a man forced a 91-year-old woman from her car and drove away. The rising rate of crime in Asheville has landed the city of approximately 90,000 people in the top 10% most violent cities in America, according to FBI crime data. ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) The Asheville Police Department arrested two people Thursday and is continuing to search for two more suspects. 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. Joe Silberman of the Asheville Police Department (APD) said Wednesday, according to local outlet WLOS. 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. Asheville saw a21% increasein the homeless, or unhoused population, in 2022 over 2021, leading to the belief by some residents and visitors that downtown has become dangerous. He also said Antifa and activists were active in Asheville and described the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 as riots.. The only violent crime that has seen reductions is rape, down 28%, he said. Both the Asheville Police Department (APD) and the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office have been hemorrhaging officers in recent years, with many retiring early or simply quitting. Email skestin@avlwatchdog.org. Asheville police spokesman Bill Davis said the department has had 16 robberies involving theft of a vehicle since the beginning of 2021. Xpress needs help, too. Yep, sort of comical to watch the advertising/groveling for more and more guests continue while the city struggles to get its act in order. Asheville Watchdogsent the police department a list of questions about the increases: How many are drug- or gang-related? 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. Please remember that.". 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"Because we've lost so many officers, and we're operating at almost 42% down every single day, officer presence and officer visibility are not what they were.". They see people who are mentally unwell walking down the center of the street, talking to themselves, and they are fearful, Manheimer said. ASHEVILLE, N.C. Police in Asheville, North Carolina, arrested a man last week and seized enough fentanyl to kill over 600,000 people, detectives said. Fox News: Asheville Is Crime-Ridden, Dangerous APD Officers responded to 41 reports of break-ins The Omni Grove Park Inn, built in 1913, is a historic resort hotel in Asheville, North Carolina, that has hosted several presidents. "The Asheville Police Department takes this very, very seriously," Capt. Activists also dropped off a coffin filled with dirt and animal manure in front of APD headquarters at the time. Time for your type, the type to dehumanize and belittle anything white and male to be held accountable for your casual racism and sexism like the rest of us are. For as little as $5 a month the cost of a craft beer or kombucha you can help keep local journalism strong. You can choose from several pre-selected date ranges and define the radius of your search parameter from an eighth of a mile to a mile. We want everyone to have access to our stories. Crime statistics dont provide the full picture of crime in a city. Hair ran away from the scene, according to police. Do tell. Police in North Carolina tourist town reveal worsening violent 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. Fox News recently told a national audience that Asheville has seen a 31 percent increase in violent crime in the last five years. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. ", Asheville drew national attention this summer when Mountain Area Pregnancy Services, a local faith-based crisis pregnancy center, was among several similar pro-life establishments nationwide that were vandalized in June by the radical, Antifa-affiliated pro-abortion group "Jane's Revenge.". Email [emailprotected]. The Asheville Police Department announced that officers seized 2.76 pounds of suspected fentanyl from a man on March 31. Asheville once touted as a top-10 tourist destination back in 2017, but with crime raging, the city now ranks, get this, in the top 10 percent of most violent cities in America, anchor Todd Piro said. 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." Are armed gang members or drug dealers coming into Asheville from Charlotte, Atlanta or other cities? The new violent crime numbers, which include a 59% year-to-date spike in armed robberies compared to 2021, come as two suspects made local headlines this week, allegedly beating a man with a baseball bat and robbing him along a heavily trafficked avenue that runs north from downtown Asheville. Cold Cases Missing Persons Daily Archive. ASHEVILLE - The city's violent crime has climbed to nearly double that of the national average, rising 31% in five years, according to recent police data that also CRIME SOARS IN DEM-RUN TOURIST TOWN, said the chyron. federal charges following an investigation into City police in Asheville, North Carolina, recently released new statistics that show rising violent crime trends in the Democrat-led tourist town have continued, increasing 34% year-to-date compared to last year and 29% over 2020. HOMICIDES DOWN BUT VIOLENT CRIME UP IN MAJOR US CITIES AS MIDTERMS APPROACH. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. There certainly are people that are at higher risk, Manheimer said. According to the police department, evidence showed that another suspect was involved in the robbery. While canvassing the area, officers located three shell casings along with damaged property. 'Uncomfortable, unsafe': Asheville business owners, But the question then is really whats the new normal going to be?. Chad Nesbitt, the former chair of the Buncombe County GOP who now works as a local investigative journalist, attributed some of the city's problems to Antifa's presence in Asheville, which he described as "the hub of Antifa" in the region. Asheville, NC, Crime Rate & Safety | U.S. News Best Places Asheville, a city of approximately 90,000 people nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Buncombe County, North Carolina, has seen a 31% surge in violent crime per 100,000 people from 2016 to 2020, according to statistics released in the spring. Legal Statement. (Daniell_Photography via Getty Images), Writing how he had come to believe that police were tasked beyond their capacity with "stopping societal issues and disorder," Wilson concluded that law enforcement solutions are merely "a Band-Aid" on such profound problems and that "strong communities are the real remedy. I am scared of nobody but THIS is what is making Asheville a more dangerous place to live. Duncan, who retired as sheriff in 2018, ran the department for 12 years, replacing Bobby Lee Medford. Crime perceptions are also shaped by more homeless people in and around downtown. An Asheville Police Department vehicle parked in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. 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.. What they show is over half of serious crime doesnt even get reported to the police, Herrmann said. A dawn view of the skyline in Asheville, North Carolina, which has seen rising trends of violent crime in recent years. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Asheville has so far seen 11 homicides in 2022, setting it on pace to surpass the homicide rate of 2021 and 2020. Asheville Watchdog dug into the citys crime statistics and found violent crime in Asheville disproportionately affects Blacks, especially young Blacks. Crime is a serious issue and one that I hear about as a top concern for our community, said Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. Is our community unsafe as the picture is painted by Fox News? 0:04. Mayor Manheimer said, Fox News is doing their best to try to highlight these evil Democrat blue cities like New York and Chicago and L.A., and I guess now were going to focus on Asheville. There were plenty of Republican-mayor cities with crime also going up, he said. Lets Eat at Waynes Lunchbox in Spindale, N.C. 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Thats tough to believe.. (Kristin Ramsey/EyeEm). Change my mind. What Ive learned over the years is you can apparently slice and dice crime data however youd like, Manheimer said. or redistributed. WebProperty crime numbers Though anecdotally, story after story described spiking crime rates, with theft and burglary among the concerns voiced by business owners, Booth said Carjacking is not a criminal charge in North Carolina. There certainly are people that are at higher risk, Manheimer said. But the raging crime, carjackings and Mexican drug cartel activity described by Fox News? We understand, the web can be a dangerous place! Crime statistics dont provide the full picture of crime in a city. An officer currently with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office who spoke to Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity attributed the exodus of officers to policy changes that hamstring them. WebA man was injured during a shooting early Saturday morning at an apartment in Asheville. And why did the tourists who overdosed on felonious drugs at the Grove Park last February not get charged? Miller said he has not encountered an anti-law enforcement sentiment. The Buncombe county commissioners have stood with me 100 percent, he said, supporting pay raises and new equipment. Of the reported robberies in 2020, 26% of the victims were strangers. "It's devastating what they've done here in town and the Asheville area," Nesbitt said of Antifa, whose activity he has followed closely ever since he was nearly killed during protests downtown following the verdict in the Breonna Taylor case in 2020.