Crime soars in Democrat-run tourist town in North Carolina
Former Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan, who left the Democrat Party, joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how crime spiraled out of control in Asheville as the city grapples with police shortages.
Break-ins in Asheville, North Carolina, saw a 200% monthly surge in January amid a violent crime spike in the Democrat-run tourist town that has hemorrhaged police officers in recent years.
The Asheville Police Department, which serves a town of approximately 90,000 people, responded to 41 break-ins throughout 2022 and has already fielded 11 reports of break-ins in 2023 as of Feb. 1, according to local ABC affiliate WLOS.
Chris Faber, whose bar in downtown Asheville was targeted twice last month within a span of a few days, told the outlet that a suspect broke into his establishment and stole about 20 bottles of whiskey and up to $800 in cash.
The suspect was then reportedly recorded on surveillance video breaking into a neighboring business and stealing from its cash register.
A dawn view of the skyline in Asheville, North Carolina, which has seen rising trends of violent crime in recent years. (Walter Bibikow via Getty Images)
"It’s wildly frustrating, and mostly for me it’s frustrating because I’m not comfortable leaving my bar by itself when it happens that frequently," Faber told the local outlet. "We just don’t know what to do as a preventative measure, other than what we’re already doing."
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Chuckie McKelvey, who also owns a bar in downtown Asheville, said a suspect broke into her business on Jan. 18 and made off with alcohol and a cash register filled with $7 worth of quarters.
"I feel like we’re all suffering the problem, but none of us really have a great solution," McKelvey told WLOS. "Of course, if more police presence were there, that would be a helpful deterrent. But I understand that that’s just not an option right now."
Buncombe County Courthouse, left, and Asheville City Hall (Fox News Digital)
APD senior officer Robert Crume told the outlet that some businesses are not even reporting break-ins. "They just report the loss to their insurance and move on. They’ve become so frustrated with the situation," he said.
The break-in surge comes amid a violent crime spike in the historic mountain town, which has seen an influx of people moving in from out of state during recent years. Violent crime in Asheville increased 31% per 100,000 people between 2016 and 2020 – nearly double the national average and 18-percentage points higher than North Carolina's 13% increase statewide during the same period.
According to statistics released by APD in September, such trends have continued, rising 34% year-to-date compared to 2021 and 29% over 2020. The department noted that aggravated assaults are mostly responsible for the increase.
"Of course, if more police presence were there, that would be a helpful deterrent. But I understand that that’s just not an option right now."
APD Chief David Zack told Fox News Digital last fall that his department lost more than 100 sworn officers since May 2020, and that the force is struggling to maintain visibility while "operating at almost 42% down every single day."
The Biltmore estate, built in 1895, is the biggest tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. (George Rose via Getty Images)
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Multiple local law enforcement sources from Asheville who spoke to Fox News Digital last fall laid partial blame for the mass exodus of police on the city's liberal leadership and on left-wing activists who undermine police.
