Forty-five people have already been killed in Fayetteville this year, officially surpassing the 2022 homicide count of 44.
The news comes after the Fayetteville Police Department has reported at least one homicide every week in October, including three in the span of 24 hours this past weekend, adding up to six homicides this month. Police also discovered several decomposing bodies in October, one of which was a homicide victim.
With crime and public safety at the top of mind for many Fayetteville residents, CityView queried city council members and candidates for the seats about the homicide rate. As of Tuesday evening, only Mayor Mitch Colvin and Councilman Mario Benavente responded; Councilwoman Brenda McNair sent answers to questions on Thursday after initially not providing answers but thanking CityView for reaching out.
Colvin told CityView that each of the lives lost represents “a person to (him), not a statistic.”
“We are moving ahead with both a long-term and short-term strategy,” he said. “However, a number of other key elected officials play a significant role in this equation.”
Benavente also said he understood that the homicides this year meant “hundreds of family members and loved ones that are grieving each individual loss.” The councilman himself learned that a childhood friend of his, James Daniel, was among the victims of the gun violence that resulted in three deaths over the weekend.
“My commitment to resolving our city's gun violence problem has never been more personal,” he told CityView.
With all city council seats on the ballot for next week’s general election, Benavente and Colvin are both fending off competitors in their respective seats.
Historical trends
Homicide rates have been steadily increasing in Fayetteville since the Covid-19 pandemic. While 2019 saw 21 killings in the city, 30 homicides were recorded in Fayetteville in 2020, according to police data.
In 2021, the city saw a record high of 48 homicides.
Last year’s count of 44 homicides was a slight decrease. But by this time last year, there had been five fewer homicides than there are now. That means that with two months still remaining, a new record high seems probable.
Police Chief Kemberle Braden said in a statement addressing concerns over the homicide rate that his department was steadfast in tackling violent crime in the city.
“As we see the number of homicides rise, we know the current climate can be disheartening,” Braden said. “Fayetteville Police Department takes a proactive and progressive approach in investigating and solving violent crimes.”
Braden has been outspoken about the gun violence epidemic in the city. In August, after consecutive weekends with multiple shootings, he said that as far as he was concerned “the sanctity of life is no longer sacred.”
Still, Braden emphasized the police department’s homicide clearance rate of 93%, which he said translated to 39 arrests of the 42 killings that took place prior to last weekend. In comparison, the national average clearance rate is just over 50%.
Efforts to address violent crime
Colvin said that, in the short term, he’s working to support the police department by adding additional support in its gang and violent crime divisions. The mayor is also hoping to increase accountability for judges and magistrates in the criminal justice system, especially when it comes to prosecuting repeat offenders. He said the city has arrested more than 1,700 people who were felons at least twice in an almost two-year period, but that this pattern wasn't “sustainable.”
“We need specific focus in arresting and removing habitually violent offenders,” he said.
The mayor said his long-term strategy involves proactively addressing the root causes of violent crime, such as by supporting additional programs for at-risk youth and creating “safe spaces within the city” through collaboration with the new statewide Office of Violence Prevention, located in the N.C. Dept. of Public Safety.
Benavente argues that the record-breaking homicides in Fayetteville are in part a result of years of failed policies at the state level, such as the N.C. legislature’s policies loosening gun laws in March. The councilman said he has introduced local legislation to counteract the state’s laws that make guns easier to come by.
In addition, Benavente plans to continue advocating for community-based solutions, such as fully funding and staffing an Office of Community Safety in Fayetteville and installing signs to be posted outside of businesses that sell firearms, a strategy by Everytown for Gun Safety that will be discussed at the next city council work session.
Benavente said he also wants to see greater focus on “restorative justice” measures that take into account the circumstantial factors that influence crime. This includes investing in high-quality child care in the city and initiatives for people with criminal records to get approved for housing and find stable job opportunities. He believes Fayetteville is currently “overly invested in criminalizing poverty, mental health crisis, and addiction, which is a recipe that guarantees future criminality.”
“When we leave people in our city with nothing to lose, and you grow the number of deadly weapons readily available, of course we are going to have record breaking homicides,” he said.
Braden said the police department utilizes multiple initiatives to address violent crime, including allocating officers to work in areas where “specific crimes have historically occurred”; sponsoring repeat offender programs; and utilizing community resources and programs to address underlying causes of crime.
Braden also called on Fayetteville residents to work together on crime prevention efforts, which he described as “a responsibility that we all must bear to ensure the safety of our great city.”
Colvin also said that, despite the current homicide rate, he believes Fayetteville remains a worthwhile place to live.
“In spite of these growing pains the city has a tremendous track record of success and is full of opportunities economically and quality of life opportunities,” he said. “Increased investment in amenities and cultural activities with an affordable cost of living make this a great place to live. Our positives far exceed any of the negatives.”
In an email to CityView on Thursday, McNair said she had several plans to reduce murder in the city: “employ immediate, and long-range strategies to address violent crime, implement community programs addressing the root causes of violent crime, build relationships with stakeholders and subject matter experts who have the expertise to assist our community during this crisis.”
McNair added that people should have faith in city council's ability to come up with solutions that will reduce the rate of violent crime.
"Violent crime is not isolated to our community, it is problematic in other places as well and citizens will have to believe that Fayetteville’s elected leaders have a viable plan with workable solutions to make our community safer," McNair said.
Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608.
