Asheville Police Department Implements New Patrol Strategy to Combat Violent Crime

Asheville Police Department Announces Patrol District Reorganization

Asheville, N.C. — Big changes are coming to the way the Asheville Police Department patrols the city. On Monday, September 23, Chief Mike Lamb announced a new strategy that will see the re-alignment of two of the three patrol districts in Asheville. This plan is aimed at enhancing officers’ response times to violent crime, which has been a rising concern in specific areas.

What’s Changing?

The two districts seeing the most notable changes are the “Charlie” district, which will now encompass downtown Asheville, areas surrounding downtown, and North Asheville, and the newly adjusted “Baker” district, which will take in East and South Asheville. If you’re making plans to head downtown, you’ll be happy to hear that the Charlie district will now have four dedicated officers patrolling, up from the previous two. Chief Lamb also mentioned that officers willing to work overtime will contribute to additional patrolling in this area, thanks to its higher occurrence of violent crime.

A Focus on Violent Crime

Chief Lamb defined violent crime as incidents that include aggravated assaults, murders, and rapes. While he noted that the overall violent crime rate has dropped 19%, the department’s past staffing challenges still linger. Approximately four years back, the department suffered a significant loss of officers which, Lamb stated, continues to impact staffing today.

Patrol Shifts by District

Three districts exist in Asheville, with only the “Adam” district in West Asheville maintaining its current boundaries. This district extends to Smokey Park Highway and I-40 and usually has around eight assigned officers for each 12-hour shift. Notably, the “Baker” district, which covers East Asheville, will have an average of nine officers on duty during those shifts. Compared to the Charlie district, which is smaller geographically, these outer districts will continue to span larger areas but still have substantial officer coverage.

Local Experiences with Crime

The stories coming out of Asheville highlight some of the real-life impacts of these crimes. One resident, Ethan Johnson, a musician visiting from Sylva, had a tough experience recently. After a late night out performing, he returned to find his friend’s car had been broken into, resulting in the theft of over $3,600 worth of belongings, including sensitive items like a bass guitar and a MacBook Pro. Johnson expressed his disappointment, noting that he had never experienced such theft during his time in Atlanta.

APD’s Response

Despite Johnson filing a police incident report, he felt communication from the Asheville Police Department was lacking. Rick Rice, the APD spokesman, mentioned that the department did indeed follow up with the victim, though they were unable to gather enough leads to immediately solve the case.

Sharon Morgan, who was visiting Asheville from New York, also faced a disheartening situation. After discovering that she had left her purse at a downtown restaurant, she lost thousands of dollars in personal belongings. Like Johnson, Morgan highlighted a lack of communication from the authorities after filing a report.

Moving Forward

Moving ahead, Chief Lamb aims to ramp up APD’s staffing levels, targeting a potential new cadet class that could number up to 30 recruits, marking one of the largest in recent years. Aside from addressing the immediate concerns around violent crime, Lamb is contemplating reinstating programs like bike patrols and teams to tackle traffic enforcement and public housing patrols, particularly in areas where violent crime rates are notably higher.

As the city continues to face challenges in crime control, many residents feel the personal impacts of theft and violence, urging the need for swift action from law enforcement. Let’s hope that the changes at the Asheville Police Department pave the way for a safer community.