Raleigh police address safety downtown as number of incidents drop

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- As Summer begins to wind down, the fun events downtown haven't stopped.

Hundreds were in downtown Raliegh for a concert in the park. With more people moving to Central North Carolina, the Raleigh Police Department (RPD) wants to make the downtown entertainment and hospitality district safer.

Raleigh Police said the overall incidents year to date in downtown Raleigh are down 22 percent. They owe it to more teams providing coverage to parking garages, officers on bikes, and building up camera access with businesses.

Moore Square was the place to celebrate Thursday evening.

"The beautiful weather so it just makes it perfect for having a jazz night over here," said Raleigh Resident Simo Boukhris.

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RPD Police Chief Estella Patterson clarified recent homicide numbers from the Major City Chiefs Association that showed homicides are up 78 percent so far this year, and stating 2023 numbers were lower than the city's five-year average.

"We saw an uptick this year just from January to June of 2024. That's what those numbers reflect year to date. We are at 19 homicides, we're up 12 percent over last year. But the thing is we have a 95 percent clearance rate, which is phenomenal. No, no other city just about has a clearance rate that high," said Chief Patterson

Eyewitness News also asked about recent violent crimes involving youth.

"We're continuing to see our young people engage in an activity that is very problematic to us. We're working through mentorship programs. We have youth camps. We just finished eight camps this summer. We're extremely proud of that," said Chief Patterson. "Our officers have dedicated a lot of time to just work with our young people, and we realize that they have challenges that are difficult probably when we were growing up."

With more vehicle thefts, the department has a new team this year, and the main goal is to prevent these situations. Since starting on June 4, the team has recovered 43 vehicles; which totals more than $800,000 worth of people's personal property.

Those visiting downtown welcomed the increased presence of the men and women in blue.

"While we were here, I noticed some officers standing around and it makes you feel better knowing with like the rise of mass shooting events throughout the US, you're like, if I come to this park, am I going to be safe," said resident Molly Marshall.