From Staff Reports

Year-end statistics from the North Carolina SBI released recently indicate double-digit declines in some major crime categories for Buncombe County in 2022.

“Compared to 2021, larceny and thefts were down 24 percent, breaking and enterings were down 23 percent, motor vehicle thefts dropped 26 percent, stolen property crimes dropped 35 percent and robberies were down more than 50 percent,”Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported Jan. 23.

 â€œKillings were also down. In 2022, there were four compared to seven in 2021. The Sheriff’s Office has brought charges in all of the 13 homicides investigated during the last three years.”

In a news release, Buncombe Sheriff Quentin Miller stated the following:

 â€œThank you to all of our deputies, detectives and detention officers — as a result of their hard work, we are seeing a reduction in crime for the third consecutive year. The increase in arrests for high-level crime and repeat offenders has been a key factor in our crime reduction strategy.”

Meanwhile, in a brief telephone interview on Jan. 25 with the Daily Planet, Rondell Lance, president of the Asheville-based Fraternal Order of Police lodge, said that “the men and women of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office — despite all they’re facing — are out there doing a great job... I think those (SBI) ‘stats’ are evidence of what the everyday patrol officers and the detetectives are doing a terrific job.”

The FOP lodge that Lance has led for 26 years represents more than 250 members, who work at 13 local law enforcement agences in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Yancey counties.

In addition to the aforementioned crime decline and praise that Miller expressed for his deputies, detectives and detention officers, the Buncombe sheriff’s news release stated the following:

“According to the Annual Summary Support of Uniform Crime from the N.C. SBI, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office saw a nine percent reduction in index crime offenses in 2021 and a two percent drop in 2020.

“Under Sheriff Miller, there has been a focus on arresting individuals who are doing the most harm to the community and are responsible for organizing criminal theft rings. This new enforcement strategy by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office has led to a reduction in crime. 

‘During 2022, examples of this strategy include the arrest of a theft ring led by James William Yates III; William Melvin Reese II, who was recently sentenced to 55 months in prison for motor vehicle thefts; and the recovery of more than 4,000 stolen items from Denny’s Pawn Shop. 

“These are just a few examples of large criminal theft operations disrupted by our detectives’ investigative work during the past year. 

“The Property Crimes Unit at the Sheriff’s Office consists of 11 detectives and two sergeants. These 13 individuals focus their resources on investigating and arresting suspects who are responsible for multiple larcenies and have a pattern of committing property crimes. 

“Multiple detectives in criminal investigations have been working in coordination on large-scale investigations like Denny’s Pawn Shop. They have also relied on community members who are providing tips and assistance in leading us to suspects.

“‘Crime statistics represent more than just numbers. Behind each one there is a measure of justice provided to a victim, and a great deal of hard work and dedication by the detectives who work each case,’ says Captain Angie Tullis, with the Criminal Investigations Division of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.

“This drop in property crimes for the Sheriff’s Office during 2022 continues a trend in crime reduction dating back to 2020. 

“According to data from the NC SBI, in 2021, a nine percent reduction in Crime Index Offenses occurred for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office according to the NC SBI. 

“In 2020, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office saw a two percent drop in Crime Index Offenses according to the NC SBI.

“(The 2022 annual crime report from the SBI will not be available until later this year.)

“Additionally, the MAT Drug Treatment Program at the Buncombe County Detention Facility is helping to reduce recidivism with a 19 percent reduction in criminal charges among those participating in the program. Many property crimes are driven by addiction. 

“The Sheriff’s Office Real Time Intelligence Center is also allowing for a quicker response time to certain crimes and the widespread adoption of security cameras, and better quality cameras, at homes and businesses is aiding and improving our ability to identify suspects and suspect vehicles,” the release concluded

Below are the number of reported crimes in major categories during the last two years for the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office:

Arson

2021 - 24

2022 - 30

Assault

2021 - 953

2022 - 855

Breaking & Entering

2021 - 433

2022 - 332

Drug/Narcotics

2021 - 402

2022 - 381

Fraud

2021 - 372

2022 - 389

Homicide

2021 - 7

2022 - 4

Larceny/Theft

2021 - 1106

2022 - 833

MV Theft

2021 - 298

2022 - 219

Pornography

2021 - 42

2022 - 51

Robbery

2021 - 17

2022 - 8

Sex Offense, Forcible

2021 - 37

2022 - 29

Stolen Property

2021 - 112

2022 - 72

Vandalism

2021 - 328

2022 - 255

Weapon Law Violation

2021 - 61

2022 - 73

The number of homicide charges brought by the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office each year since 2000:

2000 - 4

2001 - 1

2002 - 7

2003 - 4

2004 - 3

2005 - 8

2006 - 3

2007 - 6

2008 - 5

2009 - 4

2010 - 3

2011 - 4

2012 - 4

2013 - 13

2014 - 2

2015 - 4

2016 - 6

2017 - 5

2018 - 1

2019 - 2

2020 - 4

2021 - 7

2022 - 4