Violent, property crime rise as Durham City Council continues to debate more police
Violent crime rose slightly in the first nine months of 2019, including a 17 percent increase in shootings, compared to the same time last year, Police Chief C.J. Davis told the Durham City Council on Monday night.
Reported homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults were up a total of 6% to 1,471 incidents.
An increase in homicides and aggravated assaults drove the increase, as reported rapes fell 12% and robberies fell 18% to a three-year low.
Homicides were up 33% to 32 compared to 24 at this time last year.
Aggravated assaults, which includes shootings, were up 19%.
Davis didn’t say how many shootings were reported, but in 2018 there were 204 people shot and 619 shooting incidents, The News & Observer has reported.
Property crime, which includes burglary, larceny and vehicle theft, were also up 5% compared to the first nine months of 2018.
Davis highlighted initiatives the department is taking, including allocating a detective to investigate cold-case homicides and a $1 million federal grant to help the Police Department address a sexual assault kit backlog.
City Councilman Charlie Reece complimented the cold-case work.
“It’s so important that the families and the victims know that we have not forgotten these cases,” Reece said.
Police staffing debated
In response to a series of shootings at the end of October, Davis said her office is enhancing the city’s gang task force by working with the Sheriff’s Office to add additional personnel, The News & Observer has reported.
City Council member Mark-Anthony Middleton on Monday night again pushed for more resources for the Police Department to fight violent crime.
Middleton and council member DeDreana Freeman have advocated for additional police officers, which other members have opposed. Mayor Steve Schewel offered a compromise of nine more officers during last year’s budget talks, which the council rejected 4-3.
The debate over policing continued through the recent City Council election in which Reece, Jillian Johnson and Javiera Caballero, who were all elected, maintained their opposition to hiring more officers.
The incumbents said they have concerns about overpolicing and believe supporting other community efforts would be more effective.
Middleton pointed to a recent media report in which Davis said she needed more officers before and she needs then now. He told the chief there were only seven people with the power to grant her more officers so “it was pretty clear who your audience was.”
Middleton asked whether there was something the council could do to augment the department’s capability and address the violent crime.
“Outside of the traditional budgetary cycle, is there something this government can do to help you in the short term and convey to the people in the city that ... we get that there is an issue going on and that people are scared, people are upset, and people are looking to us for leadership?” Middleton said.
“If it’s a price, what is the price?” he said.
City Manager Tom Bonfield said he has asked the Police Department for more information about the department’s gang unit and related needs, and he plans to report back to the City Council in coming weeks.
“There are many avenues by which the council has the authority or the ability to supplement resources in their budget,” Bonfield said.
Middleton said he looks forward to the reporting and said, “If whatever comes back is reasonable and within our power that we should do it.”
Longer-term trends
While Durham provides quarterly updates on crime, criminologist have warned against reading too much into monthly fluctuations and suggested focusing on longer-term trends.
From 2000 to 2013, Durham’s violent crime rate dropped 25 percent, before rising again in 2014 through 2017. The changes mirrored national trends.
In 2018 reported violent crime declined 13 percent from the previous year, but was still up 21 percent since 2013.
Davis, who started as chief in 2016, has taken steps to address violent crime that include increasing tracking and communication and establishing task forces to address specific crimes, such as armed robbery.
This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 11:02 PM.
