Asheville City Council heard two hours of public comment on March 13, the vast majority of it pertaining to recent footage showing a white APD officer beating a black Asheville resident.
Tag: Asheville Police Department
Showing 190-210 of 396 results
Asheville City Council, Buncombe Commissioners discuss racial equity, development in joint meeting
2018’s annual joint meeting of Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners highlighted issues of racial equity, police use-of-force and zoning conflicts affecting Buncombe residents.
City Council braces for first regular meeting since APD video leak
Asheville City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, March 13 — which will be the first regular meeting since video surfaced showing an Asheville police officer beating a black Asheville resident — will feature a presentation by the Racial Justice Coalition on improving accountability and culture at the APD.
Community anger spills over during APD advisory committee meeting
The week after the release of body camera footage showing a white APD officer beating an African-American Asheville resident, members of the community attended a Citizens Police Advisory Committee meeting in force to express their outrage.
City releases new details in investigation into police use of force
After a closed session of Asheville City Council on March 5, the city released more information on the timeline and investigation into the Asheville Police Department’s use of force against resident Johnnie Jermaine Rush.
Asheville poised to strictly limit vacation rentals
Sweeping changes to Asheville’s zoning code could make it much harder for property owners to rent out whole units for periods of less than a month. City Council will vote on the restrictions on short-term vacation rentals at its Jan. 9 meeting.
Letter: Continue the city’s progress with Smith
“I’ve had an opportunity to get to know Sheneika during this year’s campaign, and she is the real deal.”
Letter: Brevard Road, an unattended speedway, part 2
“I requested [a speed test] for Brevard Road a few months ago and was shocked to learn that there are approximately 8,685 vehicles/day and that the 85th percentile was 37 mph.”
Group trains bystanders to intervene in troublesome situations
About 50 people took part in a bystander intervention training session on July 30 to learn the best strategies for intervening in tense or dangerous situations. The training facilitators shared techniques to safely and positively take action.
Community turns out for Charlottesville solidarity rally at Pack Square
Several hundred people assembled at the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville on Sunday evening, Aug. 13, to express opposition to a white nationalist gathering that took place in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend.
Letter: Brevard Road, an unattended speedway
“You would think you were at a drag strip sometimes the way people open the throttle on their machines. It’s dangerous, it’s noisy, and it reminds me of aggressive drivers from big cities.”
Multilingual government services grow in fits and starts
When activists hired Spanish-language interpreters for the May 23 meeting of Asheville City Council, some community members questioned why local government bodies aren’t already providing interpretation services at all public meetings.
Letter: Fix needed for New Leicester Highway intersection
“The idea of setting up a ‘trap’ to generate revenue by dinging the citizens of Buncombe is not in keeping with what our county is about. This practice creates a major traffic hazard far beyond a vehicle entering the expressed turn lane ‘too early.'”
Charges to be dismissed against mentally disabled man arrested during I-240 bridge incident
Terry Marzelle, an Asheville man with a mental disability, who was arrested last week during an incident involving a suspicious device on the Haywood Road Bridge over I-240, will not face charges. The arrest was caught on camera by WLOS. Asheville Police Department Chief Tammy Hooper released a detailed statement this afternoon in response to community concerns […]
The strong arm of the law
Activists speak out against proposed police department expansion
Activists dominated the May 23 public hearing on Asheville’s proposed 2017-18 fiscal year budget. The group $1 Million for the People opposes Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper’s request for $1 million in additional funding to hire 15 new officers for a new downtown policing unit.
Letter: Williams asking for more accountability in city government
“In addition to pushing to lower APD’s racial disparity in police stops, Dee Williams on City Council will bring sanity to local politics and make racial and economic justice some of her top priorities.”
City budget and policing on tap for May 9 session of Asheville Council
If you want to attend Asheville City Council’s May 9 meeting, arrive early. Between a response from the Police Department to a recent report on racial disparities in policing to the first presentation of the city manager’s proposed budget for the 2017-18 Fiscal Year, there’s a lot on the agenda that could be of interest to a variety of city residents and advocates.
Asheville traffic stop data show racial inequities
Data reported to the State Bureau of Investigation by the Asheville Police Department reveal significant racial disparities in traffic stops, an attorney for the Southern Coalition of Social Justice told Asheville City Council on April 24. And even though the data are disturbing, they may not tell the full story: An analysis revealed an apparent failure to report data for 58 percent of audited traffic stops, despite a state law requires police departments to provide demographic data for all stops.
Hooper gives overview of 2016 crime, police department activities
Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper presented a review of the department’s activities during 2016 at City Council’s Jan. 24 meeting. Aggravated assault and gun crime rose sharply from 2015, while property crime was down slightly.
City Council denies 185-room hotel
City Council voted unanimously to deny the zoning request for a 185-room hotel at 192 Haywood St. at its Jan. 24 meeting. Police Chief Tammy Hooper gave an update on policing in the city in 2016.