By: Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
In the first half of 2024, Raleigh has seen a troubling rise in homicides despite an overall decline in violent crime. This paradoxical trend has highlighted significant challenges for city leaders and law enforcement as they grapple with a multifaceted crime landscape.
The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) reported a 5% decline in overall violent crime in the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2023. This marks the second consecutive year of such a decline.
However, this improvement is overshadowed by a 75% increase in homicides over the past year, according to RPD data–from 9 to 16. Although the number of murders remains lower than the peak of nearly 50 homicides in 2022—Raleigh’s highest since tracking began 30 years ago—the recent spike has raised significant concern.
Other crime categories paint a mixed picture. Robberies and aggravated assaults have slightly decreased, but rates for crimes such as assault, disorderly conduct, fraud, human trafficking, and motor vehicle theft have reached their highest levels in a decade. Notably, firearm confiscations in the Glenwood South area have increased by 74% from the second quarter of 2023 to 2024, highlighting a growing concern about gun violence.
Nationally, the trend is varied. Among 66 major cities, homicides overall decreased by 13% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2020. Cities like Boston and Philadelphia have seen dramatic reductions in homicides—80% and 70%, respectively. Conversely, some cities have experienced significant increases. For instance, Portland, Oregon, saw a staggering 278% rise in homicides, while Seattle and Las Vegas experienced increases of 59% and 55%, respectively. Charlotte also experienced a 36% spike in homicides.
City leaders have identified a shortage of police officers as a critical issue. In response, Raleigh has increased police salaries and turned to private security guards to bolster patrols downtown. The RPD has managed to reduce its officer vacancies from 84 to 45 over the past year and is currently training more recruits.
Raleigh has also initiated a partnership with the United States Department of Justice, becoming the sixth city in the nation to do so. This partnership includes bi-weekly meetings and a technical assessment to align Raleigh’s practices with national best practices. The city is focusing on improving policies, procedures, and responses to gun violence, with particular attention to non-fatal shootings.
The Raleigh Police Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Raleigh’s current challenges are set against a backdrop of rapid economic growth. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S., the increase in crime reflects broader national trends but also stresses the unique pressures of rapid urban expansion.
“Just looking at our policies, our procedures, how we operate to see how that compares to best practices across the nation. We have an incredible record-setting clearance rate for our homicides but we’re also concerned about those non-fatal shootings as well,” Raleigh Police Chief of Staff Amanda Rolle told ABC11.
Police Chief Estella Patterson has highlighted recent reductions in specific crime categories, such as business robberies and firearm thefts, as signs of progress.
