City report shows drop in violent crime

Rocky Mount police released a report last week contradicting what officials say is a common public perception that local crime is rising out of control.

Compared to the first nine months of last year, violent crimes are down nearly 9 percent and robberies are down 20 percent, according to statistics presented to the Rocky Mount City Council. Police have reported seven murders in the city so far this year, compared to 13 by the same time last year.

“We’d certainly like to see those types of crimes come down even further,” Chief John Manley said. “Anytime when you’re dealing with a life-loss situation, it sends a shock through the community, and just one homicide in a year is too many. But we are definitely seeing some positive results coming from the continued effort between police, community leaders, businesses and residents alike.”

Of the seven murders recorded this year, three have been solved, police said. Included in the murder count are at least three unconventional homicide cases, one involving a robbery victim who suffered a heart attack and the others a domestic dispute that ended in a double-murder suicide.

The death of Elizabeth Jane Smallwood, found dead in February, is not included in the total because a cause of death has not been determined. All the other deaths possibly associated with that case were recorded outside city limits.

“In any case, we’re glad to see the numbers come down,” Capt. Laura Fahnestock said, pointing to a slew of arrests that have led to federal charges. “We’ve taken a lot of repeat offenders off the street for 10 to 15 years. That has made a difference.”

Fahnestock said the transparency of the department in reporting crimes to the community has contributed to the perception that conditions on the street are worsening. But compared with previous years, the city is seeing sharp decreases in burglaries and other property crimes, a surprising trend given the state of the economy the past year.

Fahnestock gave much of the credit to the departments Street Engagement Team, which she says has collected and destroyed dozens of guns and drugs from Rocky Mount neighborhoods.

A spike in federal charges against repeat offenders has taken a lot “bad people” off the streets for a long time, Manley said.

In the past two weeks alone, police have arrested four suspects from its 10 most wanted list.

“Like I have always said, 'Any success we see is the result of a collaborative effort between police, citizens and business leaders alike working together to resolve crime in our society,’ ” Manley said. “I said that before when things were worse. Any success we see is a direct result of the entire community.”

The statistics reported by Rocky Mount police are collected through a standardized method accepted throughout the state, officials said, and crime data is calculated through the same means each year.

“Not every department is required to report its crime statistics,” Fahnestock said. “We’ve reported it all along, because we think transparency is essential.”