Public safety is improving in Fayetteville, at least from the perspective of the Police Department.

Police Chief Kemberle Braden presented crime statistics for the first quarter of 2023 May 22 to the Fayetteville City Council that show decreased levels of crime and more arrests compared to last year.
According to the data presented, property crimes are down 9%, crimes against people are down 3% and arrests are up 38%.

“What does that mean? It means your officers are out there working,” Braden told the City Council during his presentation. “If crime is coming down and arrests are going up, that means your people are out there fighting crime. As long as these two numbers are converging, that is a good sign for crime in the city of Fayetteville.”

Homicides are down 18% compared to the first quarter of 2022, but the actual numerical difference is small — nine this year compared to 11 in 2022.

While Braden sees increased arrests as good for the city, council member Mario Benavente had a different perspective.

“The idea that arrests going up is automatically a good thing is what I take issue with,” Benavente said. “We're never going to arrest our way out of the public safety issues in Fayetteville. In fact, when we overcriminalize and we engage in arresting as many people as we can, we create barriers for folks that, in the criminal justice system, are going to end up with charges, are going to end up with records that are going to prevent them from getting decent jobs and being able to get into decent living.”

Benavente does not put the issue of improving public safety, however, solely on the police. He advocated for an office of community safety, an entity outside the Police Department that would seek to improve public safety in the city. Community organizers in Fayetteville have pushed for weeks for the initiative to be put in next year’s city budget, CityView reported.

Immediately following the presentation, Mayor Mitch Colvin thanked Braden and the Police Department for their work on reducing crime.

“I don’t know any perfect department, perfect council, perfect people, but you guys are certainly making strides, and we are appreciative of what you do,” Colvin said.

Braden’s first 90 days

Braden, who was sworn in as police chief earlier this year, outlined progress on goals he had set for his first 90 days on the job.

During those first 90 days, Braden said, he spoke with police officers of all ranks and with people in the community to determine what needed to change to improve public safety in Fayetteville.
Braden said the strengths of the department are the people within the police force and those in other city departments.

“As always, our people are always going to be our strength, our community partners, our city staff,” Braden said.

Weaknesses Braden identified included retention and morale among officers and outdated facilities.
Braden said the opportunities the department has going forward include enacting change through the young police force the department employs and highlighting Fayetteville police as the largest department in southeastern North Carolina.

“We should be able to recruit people from all over to come to Fayetteville, North Carolina, because of the opportunities we offer that these other surrounding jurisdictions and counties and municipalities don't have,” Braden said.