2023 Rocky Mount crime report: Violent crime trends down, property crime trends up

A new crime report from the Rocky Mount Police Department shows violent crime is trending down while property crime is trending up.

For the third year in a row, the report found violent crime decreased with a 6% drop between 2022 and 2023, but property crime has increased by 18% since last year.

The report found the rise of 18% was driven by breaking and entering, larceny, motor vehicle thefts and arson.

Nehemiah Smith Jr. is a pastor at Mount Zion First Baptist Church in downtown Rocky Mount.

It's the second year in a row WRAL has brought him the annual crime report to absorb.

"I am as optimistic, perhaps, even more now that I have seen these new statistics that are out,” he said.

Smith Jr. said he has been watching the downward trend in violence and is happy to see it continue into 2024.

Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell said the upward trend of property crime is consistent with cross-country trends.

"That is what you are going to see in many other cities similar to our size,” he said.

Chief Hassell said the issue of rising property crime is something the department has already begun to target.

"We want to push more public safety announcements, do more educational pieces for the public to inform them about areas in the city we are seeing increases and make sure we don’t leave property in the vehicles,” Chief Hassell said.

Pastor Smith Jr. has already seen that in action at his church.

"One of the things the police department did here is they brought us a sign for our yard. It says make sure you conceal things you don’t want to be seen in your car,” he said.

The police department attributes the downward trend in violent crime to advances in technology like FUSUS and the commitment of the department’s employees.

"We have more work to do, but I think that we are doing everything we can to have these numbers down,” Hassell said.

The police department plans to connect with the chamber of commerce and other business owners to help identify solutions to increasing property crime.

Pastor Smith Jr. would like to see more investments in education to drive the numbers down.

"I believe that where education is strong, you don’t have a lot of crime. We need to make sure our school systems are strong," he said.