Fayetteville crime rate down, but chief not satisfied
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- Fayetteville residents were safer last year, but police chief Harold Medlock said he was not happy with the overall crime numbers.
Monday night, Medlock told city council members that overall, crime last year was down about 5 percent, not the double-digit decrease he promised last year at this time.
According to the 2015 numbers, overall crime in the city was down, but violent crime was up 14.90 percent, including a 50 percent increase in domestic violence assaults.
He said attitudes, and a feeling of disrespect fueled much of that violence.
"Young people today, they go straight to some kind of a weapon," Medlock said. "And that's horrific. These young people don't understand the consequences of their actions when they use a firearm."
The chief added: "It's not a reset like a video game."
Medlock says his department now has more officers on the streets late at night and early mornings. His officers also are using body cameras, and he has stepped up community involvement with residents, including a new slogan that says "One agency, One community, One family, One."
"We (police) are part of our community, and that's what we're trying to convey," Medlock said. "That's important."
In 2015, there were no reports of officer-involved use of deadly force, the chief said, and he credited that to extra training his officers received to de-escalate rather than escalate a situation with a suspect.
