Durham police report falling violent‑crime totals but spike in homicides and commercial robberies

Durham police presented their first-quarter 2025 public safety report, saying overall violent‑crime totals fell compared with recent years but that homicides and commercial robberies increased during the period.

The quarterly presentation, delivered to the Durham City Council during its meeting, summarized five measures: violent crime, property crime, reported shootings, response times and staffing. A department presenter said the city had 15 homicides year to date and described an increase in homicides compared with the same period last year. The presenter also said commercial robberies rose sharply: "we saw an 84 percent increase in commercial robberies," and that 51 percent of those robberies involved a firearm.

Why it matters: The figures affect residents’ sense of safety and the council’s policing and prevention priorities, from community outreach to staffing decisions. The department also told the council it had improved clearance rates for violent crime; the presenter said investigators had cleared eight of nine homicides discussed in the briefing.

Key details - Homicides and shootings: The presenter reported 15 homicides to date and noted the number of homicides during the period rose compared with the prior year. - Commercial robberies: The department reported an 84 percent increase in robberies targeting businesses and said 51 percent of those involved firearms. - Firearms and vehicle theft: The presenter said stolen firearms are frequently taken from vehicles and that 73 percent of recovered stolen firearms were linked to vehicle‑theft incidents; 68 percent of those firearms were taken through a broken vehicle window. The department also reported it had seized 183 firearms during the quarter. - Response times and staffing: The department said response‑time goals remain unmet in some categories. Staffing sits at about 78 percent of authorized positions, the presenter said, while efforts to recruit lateral officers and to run larger training academies continue. - Clearance rates: The department reported unusually high clearance rates for the period, and told the council that investigators had resolved most recent homicide cases presented in the briefing.

Council and staff exchanges focused on causes and responses. Council members asked whether the department had seen any change in relationships with immigrant communities and whether returnees to the force cited pay and opportunity. The department said outreach efforts and Spanish‑language recruitment are part of its strategy and that pay and opportunity were among cited reasons for officers leaving and also for some returning.

Ending: Police officials told the council they will continue outreach, increase investigative coordination with federal partners and host additional public‑facing communications about trends. Council members thanked the department for the report and asked for continued updates on staffing and response times.