(Fox News Digital), Nesbitt said Antifa activists from other major cities throughout North Carolina congregate in Asheville, and that the members of the organization who believe in political violence "will try to instigate some of the dumbest people to do something very stupid. the mere fact that this is being presented nationally is disturbing and humilating. Crime is a serious issue and one that I hear about as a top concern for our community, said Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. In 2021, while Ashevilles police force was drastically reduced, violent crimedecreased. The segment featured ex-Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, a former Democrat who blamed leftist politicians for what he said was anti-police sentiment in Asheville. The Community Crime Map is available on the Asheville Police Departments website by clicking on the crime mapping icon or atcommunitycrimemap.com. 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. It is a continuation of this theme of, You should worry. Duncan said in the segment that crime started to climb as those leftist politicians set an agenda that included reducing the jail population. Asheville police spokesman Bill Davis said the department has had 16 robberies involving theft of a vehicle since the beginning of 2021. We havent really seen as you would call it the cartel, he said. Asheville once touted as a top Violent crime murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault went downin Asheville in 2021. The one positive trend in the report is a reduction in gun crime. What they show is over half of serious crime doesnt even get reported to the police, Herrmann said. "Personally, I think that is the agenda of the left: for law enforcement not to be able to do anything that's effective and makes the community safer," he added. Thats a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. Story tips can be sent to jon.brown@fox.com. (Kristin Ramsey/EyeEm). Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Of 17 murders in Asheville in 2019 and 2020, 14 of the perpetrators and 12 of the victims were Black. https://mountainx.com/news/buncombe-shapes-plan-to-tackle-opioid-crisis/. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Its primarily attributable to the rise in aggravated assaults.. The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. When you tell me that your assaults are up, Im going to say you dont really know that because almost half of your assaults are probably not reported.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Asheville is largely a tourist driven economy and the city invests significant resources to promote it, which will be squandered if nothing is done. Dixon was charged with felony possession of stolen property. Have any assaults been random, aimed at residents or tourists? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. I dont know if thats true or not, the mayor said. Email [emailprotected]. Arrest 02/28/2023 11:00 PM 100 BLOCK OF DAVIDSON "Officers overlook so many things because they know that it will go nowhere in court." But the drug-dealing arrests in Buncombe thus far have not included Latinos. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The segment featured ex-Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, a former Democrat who blamed leftist politicians for what he said was anti-police sentiment in Asheville. 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. But the violence, the mayor said, is fairly isolated in our community. However, our ads are for local businesses and are unobstrusive. And its not typically random., Asheville Watchdogmade three requests over two days to interview Asheville Police Chief David Zack about crime trends, but Davis said he has a very busy schedule., Zack did find time totalk to Fox Newsand said the exodus of more than 100 officers since May 2020 had limited the departments ability to be proactive and visible. The crime information can be viewed on a map or a data grid. Hair ran away from the scene, according to police. It refers to a period ending in 2020, when crime had increased nationwide. The suspects left with more than $10,000 in merchandise and attempted to destroy the alarm system while inside, police said. The tool is called theCommunity Crime Map and is the result of a partnership with LexisNexis Risk Solutions. "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. 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. He pinpointed family pressures, a lack of community support and low pay in the expensive city as major factors pushing police to throw in the towel, but explained that APD has been working with the city to make salaries more competitive. Rates of homelessness have increased 21% since 2021, according to data released in May. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He also said Antifa and activists were active in Asheville and described the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 as riots.. You can also search by neighborhood or along a street. The information can be downloaded into a .csv file. The only violent crime that has seen reductions is rape, down 28%, he said. ? While NYC has seen its share of issues, he will not be returning to AVL. Jon Brown is a writer for Fox News Digital. Are armed gang members or drug dealers coming into Asheville from Charlotte, Atlanta or other cities? 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. But the drug-dealing arrests in Buncombe thus far have not included Latinos. Were pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. "Crime will continue to rise when there is no accountability for subjects of a crime," the officer said. Do tell. What are the demographics of the offenders and victims, and are the weapons being used mostly guns? Legal Statement. Violent crime murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault went down in Asheville in 2021. Nearly three-quarters were 29 or younger, and all but three were males. CRIME SOARS IN DEM-RUN TOURIST TOWN, said the chyron. Black residents make up 11% of Ashevilles population but account for 31% of violent crime victims. Robberies are also up, 29 percent. Why and how is Tucker doing this and where do these extra people come from? Legal Statement. Chief Zack, through Davis, answered one question: There are loosely-organized, neighborhood-specific groups that could fall under a broad definition of gangs here in Asheville. But within those groups, the chief said it was doubtful that police could build a case to prosecute members under the federal racketeering law designed to combat organized crime. Miller said he has not encountered an anti-law enforcement sentiment. 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% of most violent cities in America,anchor Todd Piro said. They really didn't get to speak, and they really didn't get anything done.". The Asheville Police Department (APD) says officers But the question then is really whats the new normal going to be?. I truly hope that Asheville, NC being a very small tourist city, really does have a safety first attitude! Crime statistics dont provide the full picture of crime in a city. The Asheville Policecrime dashboardshows crimes against people down 10% in the past year and crimes against property down 20%. Skyline of downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Elected democrats DESTROY cities. Asheville, a city of about 90,000 people in the mountainous western region of North Carolina in Buncombe County, has also been hemorrhaging both city and county police officers in recent years. What Ive learned over the years is you can apparently slice and dice crime data however youd like, Manheimer said. There were plenty of Republican-mayor cities with crime also going up, he said. An Asheville Police Department vehicle parked in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Buncombe County Courthouse, left, and Asheville City Hall, right, both of which are in the Downtown Asheville Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Asheville Police Department at (828) 252-1110. Warning: Information you find on this page may be outdated or incorrect. When police departments add or lose officers, theres not a direct correlation in crime, Herrmann said. Cold Cases Missing Persons Daily Archive. Officers also seized more than $10,000 in cash, a brick press, a vacuum sealer and a blender. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He was identified as 42-year-old Joshua Kirk Spurgeon. WebSince this Sub seems to only want to re-post Fox News specifically so they can deflect from the real crime problem Asheville has, here's the actual story of business owners fed up with daily human excrement, shoplifting, fentanyl use, overdosed people, fights, threats, and every quality-of-life crime imaginable right on their doorstep. Written by Sally Kestin, Asheville Watchdog. The citys crime Last updated or reviewed on October 24, 2022. WebThe rate of crime in Asheville is 34.46 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Robberies are also up, 29%. In 2021, while Ashevilles police force was drastically reduced,violent crimedecreased. "You're going to have to literally go back to some old 1990s-style law enforcement, and people have to be put in jail who commit crimes," he said. I think I will need to see some evidence on this, or at least hear an argument made. The Justice Departments Bureau of Justice Statistics samples U.S. households about crime victimization each year. Asheville was rated among the top 10 U.S. travel destinations according to Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards in 2016, and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority recently spent $1.3million in local tax dollars to advertise at the 2022 U.S. Open. Among many other features, SimpliCity provides crime statistics for the address. WebAsheville, North Carolina Crime Rate & Safety. Market data provided by Factset. Cold Cases Missing Persons Daily Archive. Legal Statement. Crime Map. Buncombe County Courthouse, left, and Asheville City Hall, right, both of which are in the Downtown Asheville Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Firestorm Bookstore Co-op in West Asheville, which has faced allegations of being a front for extremist Antifa activity. I had a friend come down for a visit this summer from NYC (he was last in AVL in 2018); he and his wife were threatened by a homeless person and he asked me what happened to Asheville. Fox News recently told a national audience that Asheville has seen a 31 percent increase in violent crime in the last five years. The protests that roiled Asheville that summer were especially tense, with APD officers decked out in riot gear engaging in an hours-long standoff with protesters on a bridge leading into the city.