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Durham Police to Crack Down on Violent Neighborhood

The Durham Police Department plans to launch a yearlong crackdown on neighborhoods with the highest rate of violent crimes, Police Chief Steve Chalmers said.

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DURHAM, N.C. — The Durham Police Department plans to launch a yearlong crackdown on neighborhoods with the highest rate of violent crimes, Police Chief Steve Chalmers said.

In an open letter to Durham residents, Chalmers said the department has analyzed crime trends over the past year to help determine the best use of resources. The department has used the information to focus on specific areas in each district for 90-day initiatives.

The data has pinpointed a two-square-mile area in Durham with the highest density of both violent crimes and “shots fired” calls. The police department and other city agencies will concentrate their efforts on the area over the next year, Chalmers said.

"We used crime analysis to choose the area where we believed we could make the most difference by using intervention, prevention and enforcement strategies. We want to be proactive in our policing approach, rather than reactive," he said.

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