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.
![](https://mountainx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WELLNESS_1-1-330x248.jpg)
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.
“I have felt a creepy vibe when I have gone downtown because of the difficulty of finding parking and the homeless folks camped out on sidewalks.”
Security, crime and justice took center stage during a Council of Independent Business Owners breakfast April 1. The Asheville-based trade group’s meeting served as a forum for the three Democratic Buncombe County district attorney candidates: current DA Todd Williams, prosecutor and former Assistant DA Doug Edwards and assistant public defender Courtney Booth. (Attorney Joe Bowman […]
“Knowledge of this naiveté and how it shapes our actions is at the center of critical race theory. And who to better teach than the officers who, upon responding with wisdom and understanding, could improve community safety and still ‘go home to their own families, too.'”
“Whether you’re a private entity or are providing a public service, a 30-35% daily loss of staff is going to have a major impact on operations,” says Asheville Police Chief David Zack. “I think we’d be hard pressed to find another agency who is dealing with as many big challenges as we are.”
“To expect the police person to arrive on the scene and ‘fix it’ is both unrealistic and simplistic. Time to look to alternatives.”
The Asheville Police Department is still fully funded — at least through September. On July 30, Asheville City Council voted 5-2 to adopt an annual operating budget that will allocate three months of funding for the operation of essential services, including the APD.
A portion of City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, June 9 will be dedicated for an update on city policing. According to City Manager Debra Campbell’s proposed budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, the APD is slated to receive $30,057,325 — an increase of $457,621, or 1.5%, from the department’s current budget.
Molton’s weekly weirdness
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Buncombe County Democrats are picking their choice for a new sheriff in the primary election on May 8. The five Democratic candidates have differing takes on how to shape the next iteration of the office. And though they find common ground on topics from drugs to community engagement, competition is fierce as they vie for […]
ASHEVILLE, NC
ASHEVILLE
The most pivotal law enforcement figure in Asheville is relative newcomer Tammy Hooper, chief of the city’s police department. Xpress recently sat down with Hooper for an extended interview about her role as leader, the state of the department and police-community relations.
“If we demand change at a local level, we can change the ethos of law enforcement agencies across the country.”
“Jim Crowe is dead, but he left his children, including James Crowe, Esq.,” said Rev. Dr. Keith Ogden, host pastor at Hill Street Baptist Church. “He’s got the ‘esquire’ after his name because he’s writing policies to keep folks disenfranchised.” The church hosted a Black Lives Matter service Dec. 14 to remember black lives lost […]
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 […]
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.