By Cullen Lea
Intern
The subject of crime was highlighted during the Wilmington City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 3. Despite four homicides in the city in one week, Wilmington Police Chief Ralph Evangelous stated citywide nonviolent crime has reduced by 33 percent over the past decade. Evangelous elaborated that both the central business district and downtown areas of Wilmington have recorded all-time lows in Part I crimes in 2014.
Part I crimes are defined in two categories: violent and property crimes. Evangelous attributed these reductions to police task forces, gentrification and reputable bar ownership in the downtown area. Lessening of nonviolent crime can also be accredited to a 15 percent increase in northside Wilmington ShotSpotter activation, a software program that uses audio cues to locate gunshots and alert the proper authorities.
Although nonviolent crimes have notably decreased, violent crimes have grown 7 percent from 2013 to 2014. Nearly all of these illegal acts have been associated with the use of firearms, particularly in gang-on-gang violence through targeted drive-by shootings. Gang hostility has become an insular issue, with little public threat, he said.
“As a nation our youth has an infatuation with guns,” Evangelous said. “We keep seeing the same thing over and over. Illegal drugs are driving these acts and the system has to break out of its usual rhetoric to solve these problems.”
A burden that continues to act against the police department is the lack of cooperation, with 42 percent of victims refusing collaboration with authorities.
“Gang members aren’t going to cooperate with us no matter how much trust we build with them,” Evangelous said. “Then there are other people who are just afraid.”
In response to these issues the Wilmington Police Department has created intelligence and gang analysis positions and assigned gang prosecutors. Proposed solutions include an increase of detectives and affiliation with the University of North Carolina Wilmington to develop diversity training for law enforcement and the community.
Council heard the second reading of a resolution to improve Vance Street so circulation and transportation could flow to Vertex Rail Technologies, which will bring 1,300 jobs to the community. What troubled the council was that expanding the street would heavily impact nearby neighborhoods along Vance Street.
Some members were worried about constant traffic in areas where kids play and families reside. The potential for irritation and accident are high, said Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo.
“I understand everyone’s concerns but we are looking at economic development,” Saffo said. “We want to make this happen but we know the potential impacts to the neighborhood.”
The council resolved it would support an additional access to the Vertex site, whether it be through Vance Street or an alternate route, by a 4-3 vote with Saffo, Councilmen Earl Sheridan and Neil Anderson voting against. – Cole Dittmer contributed to this story.
