Raleigh Crime on the Decline 

Violent crime is trending down—and Raleigh PD says smart strategy is the secret weapon.

Violent crime in Raleigh is dipping below prepandemic levels—and the numbers are speaking for themselves.

“Homicides are down 5%, robberies are down 5% and aggravated assaults are down 5%,” says Lt. David Davis of the Raleigh Police Department. And the department’s champion, motor vehicle theft, dropped by 27% since last year (see full stats below). 

Davis credits the decline to Chief Estella Patterson’s leadership and the department’s “summer action plan,” which launched June 1 and runs through August 31. “That really hit on three different categories,” Davis explains. “Crime reduction strategies, the operational efficiency that [the chief] has promoted, as well as all the community engagement that we’ve done.”

The department’s full-time auto theft task force—created under Patterson—has also been key. “Stolen vehicles are often used to commit additional crimes,” Davis says. “When you disrupt that pattern, you have a good impact on not only violent crime, but property crime, because criminals don’t have access to move crime along the city in these stolen vehicles.”

Still, challenges remain. “Probably just continuing that open dialogue with the community,” Davis says, pointing to the importance of business partnerships and outreach events like National Night Out. And he’s already looking ahead: “We are excited to announce details for our community police academy. That’s gonna provide residents a unique hands-on perspective of the work that we do here in Raleigh.”

Crime may be cooling, but the work—and the buzz—is far from over.

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