High Point police report shows drop in major crime; department outlines alternative-response team and other changes

Chief Cheeks of the High Point Police Department told the Prosperity, Livability and Safety Committee that the department received more than 122,000 calls for service in 2024 and that overall crime fell compared with 2023.

The report, presented as an information item at the committee meeting, said overall crime was down 6% from 2023, property crime fell 3% and criminal homicides decreased by 77%; the department recorded three criminal homicides in 2024, its lowest total since 2013. "We answered over 122,000 calls for service," Chief Cheeks said, and he reported a homicide clearance rate of 66% (two of the three cases), above the national average cited in the presentation.

Cheeks described steps the department credited with driving those trends, including targeted focused-deterrence work, investigative partnerships and community campaigns that encouraged residents to lock vehicles. The department distributed steering-wheel locks to owners of certain vehicle models and said investigators and communications staff used social campaigns to address an early-2024 spike in vehicle thefts.

Chief Cheeks also outlined technology and staffing changes rolled out in 2024. The department replaced a problematic body-camera system with equipment and services from Axon, completed a real-time crime center in June staffed by two analysts and a supervisor, and operates a local NIBIN (ballistics) site; the department reported 59 NIBIN leads generated between September and December 2024. Cheeks said those tools help investigators match recovered firearms to other incidents nationwide and to target resources more efficiently.

Use-of-force tracking was another focus. The department reported 287 use-of-force incidents logged through its Blue Team system and said it instituted a new "minor force" category to separate lower-level restraining measures (hobble, spit sock, helmets, handcuffing) from higher-level force classifications. Cheeks described Blue Team as also providing an early-warning function to alert supervisors when an officer is involved in multiple incidents within a short time frame.

Traffic enforcement and crashes remain persistent concerns, the chief said: High Point responded to about 4,000 traffic crashes a year and averages roughly 15 hit-and-run investigations annually. Chief Cheeks said the department participated in statewide enforcement events that produced more than 3,000 citations and that fatal traffic crashes in recent years have outpaced homicide totals.

The presentation summarized community and non‑enforcement efforts the department highlighted in 2024: a community day that drew more than 500 attendees; an "Angels in Blue" holiday program funded by department staff that adopted 30–35 families annually; a charity softball event that raised more than $10,000 for department charities and the fallen firefighters association; and a first youth athletic camp staffed in part by agency athletes that served about 30 children.

Looking ahead to 2025, Cheeks described three planned initiatives: an alternative response team to handle certain mental‑health‑related calls (a lead clinician position is posted, with two caseworkers planned); civilian traffic crash investigators to handle property‑damage crashes and free sworn officers for serious incidents; and pursuit of accreditation through the North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation Association. "We want to remove the law enforcement element from these mental health calls" when appropriate, Cheeks said, and to add follow-up casework so the department does not wait for repeat crises.

Committee members and other attendees asked about partnerships with nonprofit groups and shared public reporting. Cheeks said the department's community engagement division maintains contacts with community partners and that much of the weekly and monthly crime‑trend information the department uses is public and presented at neighborhood watch meetings and open monthly meetings.

No formal action or vote was taken; the presentation was provided for information. The committee did not adopt or direct immediate policy changes during the meeting, but Cheeks described near-term staffing and program steps the department is pursuing in 2025.