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Asheville’s violent crime spike? Predictable, local FOP president says — City/county elected officials (especially D.A.) lambasted for city’s perfect-for-crime, ‘anti-police environment’
Asheville Daily Planet ^ | April 13, 2023 | John North

Posted on 04/25/2023 7:53:12 AM PDT by Perseverando

Asheville’s recently announced 17.4 percent spike in violent crime for 2022 over the previous year was totally predictable, local Fraternal Order of Police President Rondell Lance told the Daily Planet during an April 8 telephone interview.

More specifically, Lance, who is retired after a lengthy career in police work, explained that the city, along with Buncombe County, has fostered an environment where criminals know they can break the law and face little or no consequences for their actions.

Asheville’s skyrocketing violent crime last year was driven largely by aggravated assaults, Asheville Police Chief David Zack noted during the city’s March 28 meeting of the Environment and Safety Committee during which, according to a report in the Asheville Citizen Times, he stressed that “presence (of police officers) matters.”

(Lance leads Asheville’s Harold C. Enloe Lodge 1, which has more than 250 members. The FOP members include “law enforcement officers and civilians from the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, HCSHP, N.C. Probation and Parole, and many others,” according to the lodge’s website.)

So how does Lance evaluate the city’s violent crime spike that is “driven” by aggravated assaults?

After a short pause, Lance noted that that is an even worse statistic for the public, as “aggravated assaults are very painful” — if one is the victim, versus someone stealing an individual’s property.

Meanwhile, in what Zack said some may read as a glimmer of good news, he reported at the ESC meeting that property crime in Asheville during 2022 was down 4.9 percent over the previous year. (The FBI defines property crime as burglary, larceny-theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson.)

Regarding Asheville’s decrease in property crimes in 2022, Lance — characteristically — expressed skepticism over whether that statistic is an accurate reflection of reality in the city.

(Excerpt) Read more at ashevilledailyplanet.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: asheville; crime; defundthepolice; fop; leo; northcarolina; theft
Mrs. P. and I were recently in Asheville and I ran across a free little newspaper, "Asheville Daily Planet" downtown in a paperbox while seeing the sites. Picked it up, and amazingly enough, it appears to be quite conservative. (It's on my desk as I type this.) Per the "Daily Planet," they are "An Independent Newspaper Serving Western North Carolina & Upstate South Carolina."

Snip continuing from the article:

"“Property crime decrease?” the FOP president asked, rhetorically. “I think a lot of places — and people — are ‘handling it’ (property crime) themselves,” given that most businesses and individuals throughout the area know that the Asheville Police Department is operating “with 40 percent of sworn staff unavailable at this time,” according to the APD.

If the situation is as Lance surmises, then he said most property crimes no longer are being reported to the police and, therefore, not recorded into the system that produces the statistics that Zack has cited.

As for violent crimes, Lance asserted, “I was privy to some discussions recently ... and some downtown Asheville merchants said (at the meetings) that they fear even going outside to empty their trash and walking to their cars after work” — day or night.

“They’re even thinking about taking people (associated with their businesses) to their cars (when they are ready to leave) because they fear being accosted while walking. This is a concern during the day, the night... all of the time,” Lance told the Daily Planet."

1 posted on 04/25/2023 7:53:12 AM PDT by Perseverando
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To: Perseverando

Crime isn’t good for tourism. Asheville depends quite a bit on tourism, doesn’t it?


2 posted on 04/25/2023 7:56:36 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Yes, it does, and a lot of it related to https://www.biltmore.com/


3 posted on 04/25/2023 7:58:39 AM PDT by Perseverando (Antifa, BLM, LGBTQs, RINOs, Islamonazis, Marxists, Commucrats: It's a Godlessness disorder!)
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To: Perseverando

I live 20 miles from Asheville. There is almost no crime here in the rural areas here. We hike and otherwise enjoy a great life here. I don’t ever lock my house. I dont even have a lock on my doorknob. It is a regular indoor knob without a lock. Asheville on the other hand is a shithole. Never go there. All these tourist love to go to Asheville to hear music drink beer etc. Their cars get vandalized. I like just outside Hot Spring. Such a peaceful wonderful town.


4 posted on 04/25/2023 8:03:39 AM PDT by Dandy (Drain the swamp baby!!!)
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To: Perseverando

Those citizens elected the people who are destroying their city and county. They are too woke stupid to know better so no sympathy here.


5 posted on 04/25/2023 8:04:48 AM PDT by Midwesterner53
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To: Perseverando

Asheville: Beautiful area, Leftist-run armpit of a town.


6 posted on 04/25/2023 8:05:55 AM PDT by TTFlyer (Lenin: that by the infliction of terror, a well-organized minority can conquer a nation.)
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To: Dandy

Sounds like where my mom’s family was from, but over west a bit. The Murphy/Andrews area.


7 posted on 04/25/2023 8:44:35 AM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure.)
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To: stylecouncilor

ping


8 posted on 04/25/2023 9:23:11 AM PDT by windcliff
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To: Perseverando

Ah, it’s the Carolinas. Had to read way down to discover that.


9 posted on 04/25/2023 10:01:39 AM PDT by Highest Authority (DemonRats are pure EVIL)
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To: Perseverando

Article published 12 days ago and has Zero comments...... wonder why none of this paper’s readers have Zero interest in commenting.... 🧐


10 posted on 04/25/2023 10:19:02 AM PDT by Lockbox (politicians, they all seemed like game show hosts to me.... Sting)
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To: Lockbox
Article published 12 days ago and has Zero comments...... wonder why none of this paper’s readers have Zero interest in commenting....

Maybe they don't want their homes or businesses burned down?

I looked for a place for comments, but didn't see any. Are they on twitter? I couldn't get on Twitter. I don't have an account and don't plan on it.

Per the Daily Planet website, the paper is only published monthly.

11 posted on 04/25/2023 10:36:56 AM PDT by Perseverando (Antifa, BLM, LGBTQs, RINOs, Islamonazis, Marxists, Commucrats: It's a Godlessness disorder!)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Crime isn't good for business. Should get the Mafia in..petty crime would decrease significantly.😎

A little story. Back in the '70's I lived in and was a reserve policeman in an upper middle class suburb bordering Chicago. Some "men of respect" also happened to reside there. A rash of fairly serious burglaries were occuring in our fair town. Police asked for a little favor from said men. A short time later burglaries stopped. Found out who they were but not their disposition. Didn't ask.😎

12 posted on 04/25/2023 10:52:43 AM PDT by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

NO SUPERVISION +

NO DISCIPLINE ++

NO CONSEQUENCES ==

FERAL BARBARIANS


13 posted on 04/25/2023 2:44:45 PM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: Lockbox

“wonder why none of this paper’s readers have Zero interest in commenting.... 🧐”

Probably because the Asheville People have lived with excessive
crime for 100 years. I recall back in the 50s hearing complaints that going there was at your own risk. Apparently no one has made the effort to clean it up over these long years.


14 posted on 04/25/2023 6:09:12 PM PDT by WVNan
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