Asheville's Downtown District Under Siege As Violent Crime Surges: City Officials Unveil Sweeping Plan To Tackle Crisis

The New York Post reports the City of Asheville is taking “target steps” as of May 1 to address the rise in crime and its effects on public safety with the planned initiative.

A news release from the city government notes, “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.” “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.”

Asheville is a tourist city in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, with an estimated 90,000 residents. In recent years, armed robberies and aggravated assaults have increased, according to APD statistics. The 60-day initiative includes an increased presence by law enforcement in the downtown area, enhanced security in the parks, and cleaning up waste downtown. Areas that are prone to crime will have increased monitoring. Enforcement of the law regarding graffiti is expected, along with a clean-up of the artwork.

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May 01, 2023

Duke Energy is part of the initiative, and personnel will enhance their efforts to identify lighting issues and make necessary repairs.

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According to the city, the Community Responder Pilot Program run by the Asheville Fire Department is committed “to support individuals in crisis and provide a more viable public safety presence downtown.” “The program is slated to inform a long-term Community Responder initiative past the 60 days of the initiative.”

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City Manager Debra Campbell said, “During the 60-day period, city staff will be tracking and testing actions we hope will make for a safer downtown.” “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 the next steps to support a safer downtown as a whole.”

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Asheville Police Chief David Zack told Fox News, “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.” The police chief shared with the news outlet that the police force is straining to be a visible presence due to the loss of over 100 police officers that have left the force since May 2020.