Fayetteville’s overall crime rate has dropped by more than 10% this year, but the city continues to grapple with a sharp rise in homicides, according to a third-quarter report presented by the Fayetteville Police Department to the city council on Monday night.
As of the end of September, 34 people had been killed in Fayetteville—an increase of 68.42% compared to the same period last year, when the city had recorded 19 homicides. Twenty-two of this year’s killings involved firearms.
Despite the spike, Police Chief Roberto Bryan emphasized the department’s clearance rate, which stands at 87.5%—well above the national average of 58%, according to FBI data. A clearance rate reflects the percentage of cases that police consider “solved.”
“I commend our homicide units and being able to solve these crimes and put these bad actors in jail,” Bryan, who was hired earlier this year, told Fayetteville City Council members.
The department’s data shows that most of the killings were not random. Ten were domestic-related, and 18 involved individuals who knew each other. “So none of these are just random in terms of, you know, random crimes,” Bryan said. “These are all individuals that know each other or have some type of relationship prior.”
The department continues to partner with the Phoenix Center in Fayetteville to support victims of domestic violence, Bryan said, encouraging survivors to press charges and seek help leaving abusive relationships.
While felony domestic assaults remained nearly flat—74 this year compared to 73 last year—misdemeanor domestic assaults dropped by nearly 24%, from 76 to 58.
Other violent crime categories also showed improvement. Reported rapes declined by 14.58%, with 41 cases so far this year compared to 48 at the same point in 2024.
The third-quarter update builds on trends reported earlier this year. In July at the midyear point, CityView reported that Fayetteville had already surpassed its 2024 homicide total.
That followed a dip in 2023 and 2024 in killings that police had previously attributed to the department’s increased efforts to address domestic violence.
The department did not offer a specific explanation Monday for the continued rise in homicides.
Government reporter Rachel Heimann Mercader can be reached at rheimann@cityviewnc.com.
Did you find this story useful or interesting? It was made possible by donations from readers like you to the News Foundation of Greater Fayetteville, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation so CityView can bring you more news and information like this.
