Asheville Police Department protest

Year in Review: Security felt elusive in 2021

When Xpress asked community members about safety and security in 2021, the questions were intentionally left very broad. After all, concepts like safety and risk can mean very different things to different people depending on their circumstances. Would respondents opine about public safety? Housing security? Financial security? Sexual assault? Homophobia? The resulting responses take the […]

APD unveils new operations plan

In an age of instant communication and social media, Asheville Police are still stuck in the 20th century. “The Asheville Police Department does a lot of good,” said Police Chief William Anderson. “What we’re not good at is getting that information out to the public.” Anderson was speaking to the 20 attendees of the department’s first meeting […]

Tensions run high over tackling Asheville’­s graffiti

Local business owners raised their voices and things got, by the moderator’s own admission, “a little out of hand” at Friday morning’s Council of Independent Business Owners meeting when it came to the issue of graffiti. With the district attorney, city leaders and a state representative on hand, opinions differed — sometimes sharply — on possible solutions and who should foot the bill.

Camp HERO at A-B Tech gives youth an inside look at emergency responders

For a week in July at A-B Technical Community College, 13 youths investigated crime scenes, examined blood spatters, navigated their way through a smoke-filled apartment and practiced life-saving skills during the College’s Camp HERO (How Emergency Responders Operate). The camp, for ages 11 to 15, gave students an introduction into the lives and operations of firefighters, law enforcement officers and paramedics.