Despite continued gunfire, some say Durham needs fewer police officers

While Durham police continue to deal with a surge in violence, two local groups called on city leaders Tuesday to reduce the size of the police force.

Posted 8:38 p.m. Apr 27, 2021 — Updated 2:31 p.m. Apr 29, 2021

Sarah Krueger

, WRAL Durham reporter

DURHAM, N.C. — While Durham police continue to deal with a surge in violence, two local groups called on city leaders Tuesday to reduce the size of the police force.

Statistics from the Durham Police Department show that, while the number of shootings and number of people shot so far this year are about the same as 2020, the number of fatal shootings is double what it was at this time last year – 12 deaths versus six.

The latest fatality occurred Monday night during two shootings within a span of 12 minutes that also left four people wounded.

"I’m scared every day that I have to leave my kids," said Hawa McGill, who lives in the apartment complex on Avon Lake Drive where 19-year-old Jalin Crawford was killed and two others were wounded Monday.

McGill said she was at work when her children called her about the shooting, and she told them to take cover in the bathtub. Bullets tore through apartments at the complex and even her sister's parked car, she said.

"My 9-year-old cried all night, and this is not OK," McGill said. "We probably need more cops, if that’s what it takes to protect this neighborhood."

But two groups, Durham for All and Durham Beyond Policing, say more police officers aren't the answer to the city's troubles. They want the City Council to, instead of filling vacant officer positions, hire unarmed mental health professionals to respond to some 911 calls.

"These two groups have come together to start the '10 to Transform' campaign. The gist of it is asking the city to reallocate 10 percent of the police budget to unarmed workers through the new Office of Community Safety and Wellness," said Tyler Whittenberg, a member of Durham Beyond Policing.

Whittenburg said there is broad support in Durham for the groups' objectives.

"You have to name what you’re working toward. We want to work toward a world without prisons and police," he said.

But Councilman Mark-Anthony Middleton said it's important that Durham have both police officers and mental health workers.

"It’s not an either-or discussion. Anyone that suggests that it is, it’s a false dichotomy," Middleton said.

Durham will soon have mental health workers helping to respond to 911 calls, he said, but the city still needs police to respond to shootings and other crime.

"I want to be able to keep Black and brown people alive, but I also want the wherewithal to investigate these spikes of gunfire that we’re seeing in our city," he said. "I think we need to have a robust menu of tools that allows us to do all of those things, and I don’t think that’s too much to ask."

Suggest A Correction