Police: Assaults on the rise in Durham
DURHAM (WTVD) -- Durham city leaders are expressing concern about an uptick in assaults in the Bull City.
Durham Deputy Police Chief Larry Smith presented the second quarter crime report to the city council Monday evening.
The report said aggravated assaults are up 50 percent over last year, but homicides have reached a three-year low.
Smith said overall violent crime is up 30 percent -- mostly because of assaults. However, Smith said he thinks one recent arrest made a difference in the numbers.
"So, we're moving in the right direction as it relates to this report," said Smith. "We have made a couple of significant arrests recently, and after one of those arrests in particular... we've seen a drastic drop in the number of houses shot up."
Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez did not attend the meeting.
