Safety and hospitality ambassadors for a downtown Asheville business improvement district would be perceived as a welcome addition by some — additional “eyes and ears” on the street. But others aren’t sure that such a program is a priority.

Safety and hospitality ambassadors for a downtown Asheville business improvement district would be perceived as a welcome addition by some — additional “eyes and ears” on the street. But others aren’t sure that such a program is a priority.
“None of Edwards’ co-sponsored laws are helping law enforcement or anyone else in Western North Carolina.”
“Therefore, if city residents are not using or benefiting from the BCSO, then it would seem that city residents should pay a reduced tax rate to the county.”
“The thought of being identified will send most of the homeless packing.”
“Many local Ashevilleans complain about tourists because they don’t understand that the revenue they bring affects their daily lives in a positive way.”
APD says drones can be a force multiplier for the department, which is understaffed. However, privacy experts warn that the usage of such technology by the government needs to be proactively curtailed.
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 […]
“Should not the county/city focus on supporting citizen safety efforts before looking at marketing programs targeted at tourism?”
“Many cities are now reallocating funds from bloated police departments to underfunded social services that help to alleviate homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse.”
“Apparently, Asheville has earned the dishonorable distinction of placing in the top 10% of most violent cities in the entire country.”
“Recent research from Princeton University demonstrates that law enforcement’s use of military armaments does not reduce crime rates nor protect officers in the line of duty.”
“Of course, it’s illegal to let dogs off leash, but you wouldn’t know that, judging from some people’s behavior and the lack of city and county enforcement.”
The Sheriff’s Department wants to protect officers and catch bad guys, and to do that better, they have made it impossible to listen to their radio traffic. But it hasn’t made communication with the APD any easier and some see the move as harmful to the flow of information to the public.
Here’s a rundown of the upcoming agenda.
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 […]
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.
Clustered around tables in the U.S. Cellular Center banquet hall during the first day of their annual retreat, Asheville City Council and city staff deliberated everything from affordable housing to surveillance. Here are a few highlights of their discussions.
Buncombe County TV has produced the latest video in its Crime Stoppers series, which shows the “Mountains Most Wanted” suspects and asks viewers to call authorities with tips on their locations.
APD’s new police chief William Anderson and Sheriff Van Duncan talk law enforcement at the March 1 Council of Independent Business Owners luncheon. (Photo by Caitlin Byrd)
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.