RPD Chief Rico Boyce reflects on first year as Capital City's top cop during interview with ABC11
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- On the eve of his anniversary as the Capitol City's top cop, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce sat down with ABC11 to reflect on his tenure.
Chief Boyce is no stranger to Raleigh, having worked his entire career here. He assumed the role as chief last year, after former Chief Estella Patterson retired from the role.
During a nearly 30-minute conversation with ABC11, Chief Boyce spoke on a wide variety of topics, while also addressing some challenges in a city that is constantly growing.
The chief credited community engagement as a major reason behind a drop in crime last year.
"If community engagement is up, crime is down," he said. "We have to go and meet people where they are. So I'm very proud of the camps that we do over the summer. We have girls basketball, boys basketball, and soccer. We even had a girls STEM camp this past summer."
The 26-year veteran of the department said trust also plays a huge role in public safety.
"I asked the community to give us an opportunity to earn their trust," he said.
Data from the department shows violent crime in Raleigh is down 1%, and property crimes dropped 17%. Motor vehicle thefts also dropped nearly 33% in 2025, with more than 300 vehicles recovered.
ABC11 is tracking crime and safety across Raleigh and in your neighborhood
Chief Boyce also spoke about last week's officer-involved shooting. Two officers were hit with gunfire as the SWAT team executed an arrest warrant. Boyce says both officers are doing well.
"They're fine, but that could have gone a different way," he said. "Very thankful that they're doing well. They're back to duty. They had an opportunity to de-escalate and debrief that situation."
Officers were able to arrest the man who allegedly fired at officers. That man is charged in the road-rage murder of Garner man.
Boyce said support for his officers is another factor that will contribute to better policing.
Still, he said it's important to hold his officers accountable when they face accusations of wrongdoing.
Back in October, Boyce stepped in front of the cameras to address the arrest of a former officer facing sexual crimes charges, allegedly committed while on duty.
That former officer was released on bond, and his attorney has yet to respond to ABC11's request for comment about the case.
But when incidents like this could chip away at public trust in law enforcement, Boyce said there's only one way to respond.
"By being transparent," he said. "I could easily let that play out in court, but I said no, as a chief, I'm going to let this community know exactly what's going on."
As he continues his tenure, Boyce said strengthening ties with the community is a top priority through various ways, such as Cops on the Block, camps for children, and getting back to his roots and playing basketball with youngsters in the community.
"The more that we can engage and partner, we're going to see the benefits of a safe city, and crime decreasing," said Boyce.
The chief said they also hope to utilize more technology to better address crime, including technology just approved by the Raleigh City Council to prevent car accidents during a police pursuit.
