Where crime is up in the Triangle and where it fell
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Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images
Raleigh law enforcement agencies reported 2,404 violent crimes last year.
- That's a 5% increase from 2021, while Durham and the state overall saw declines.
Driving the news: Overall, violent crime in Wake County (284 per 100,000 people) is still far lower than in Durham (643) and Mecklenburg (657), according to data released by North Carolina's State Bureau of Investigation this fall.
Why it matters: The increase in crime in Wake County and Raleigh, though slight, confirms what police reports and news headlines have been indicating: Crime is on the rise.
Be smart: This is only reported crimes. Some incidents go unreported, but it's impossible to accurately calculate that reporting gap.
State of play: The Downtown Raleigh Alliance hired a private security firm to patrol downtown in October, and Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin told Axios earlier this year that the city is considering hiring a private security contractor as well.
- The move followed outcry from downtown business owners, who have voiced concerns about the impact crime is having on their businesses, employees and customers.
What they're saying: "My staff has been spit on. My staff has been thrown up against glass windows. My staff has been sexually groped. My staff has been threatened with bricks. And they have had their lives threatened on a regular basis.
- "This is a daily thing. It's incredibly stressful. We can't take it anymore," said Kim Hammer, the owner of Bittersweet and Johnson Street Yacht Club, according to CBS17.
Hot spots include: The downtown bus station, Glenwood South, parts of Fayetteville and Davie Streets and the "business core" area of Lenoir, Salisbury, Person and Morgan streets along with Moore Square, news outlets have reported.
- Though data for this year is not complete, WRAL reported a 60% increase in crime in the first eight months of this year compared to 2021 in parts of downtown: Wilmington Street, Blount Street, Market Plaza and Exchange Plaza.
By the numbers: Wake County overall saw a 2% increase in violent crimes between 2021 and 2022, according to SBI data.
- Cary saw a 15% increase in crime overall, and Raleigh saw a 7% increase.
- Crime dropped in Durham by 3%.
- Fayetteville, Greensboro, Gastonia, Charlotte, Grenville and Huntersville also saw an increase in overall crime.
Reality check: The national rate of violent crime was essentially flat between 2019 and 2022, while that of property crime decreased.
- Yes, but: Changes in how crime info is reported to the FBI muddied the 2021 data, making it impossible to draw definite 2021-2022 year-over-year conclusions nationally for this key, late-pandemic window.