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Rocky Mount police report mixed 2024 crime trends and roll out data-driven patrol tool
Summary
The police chief told the council that overall reported crime rose in 2024 while violent crime fell; the department began using a data-driven rota called ResourceRouter on Jan. 1 to target patrols and reported other operational updates including victim advocacy and overdose counts.
The Rocky Mount Police Department presented a year-end update at the council work session, reporting that overall crime increased while some violent-crime categories fell and that the department has deployed a new data-driven tool to direct patrols.
The chief reported a 17% overall increase in crime for 2024 but said violent crime decreased by about 8% year‑over‑year and homicides fell from 11 in 2023 to 7 in 2024. The chief said property crime — particularly retail larceny and motor-vehicle theft — was the primary driver of the year-to-year increase.
To respond to shifting patterns, the department has implemented a tool called ResourceRouter. The chief described ResourceRouter as a system that analyzes up to five years of crime data to generate locations for targeted patrols and went live Jan. 1 after a December testing period. "We started testing in December. Went live January 1st this year, and it's mandatory all officers sign to the dashboard and try to hit every location that's on the map," the chief said. During testing, the department found a stolen car at a location ResourceRouter had identified for patrol.
The department also reported program updates: a victim-advocacy program that handled 151 cases and assisted roughly 169 victims in 2024; expanded traffic enforcement that produced a 44% increase in traffic stops (from about 7,800 to 11,200) and a reduction in property-damage costs from accidents; and ongoing narcotics enforcement that yielded seizures of cocaine, heroin and rising fentanyl detections. The packet included a reported 106 overdoses in the city for the period cited.
Council members asked about specific problem areas such as shoplifting repeat offenders, roundabout safety and whether the department will continue victim follow-up through the court process. The chief confirmed victim services extend into the court phase and said staff will pursue partnerships — including with Nash County — to expand treatment and overdose-response efforts.
Ending: The department said it will continue to refine intelligence-led patrols, pursue undercover narcotics enforcement and coordinate with county partners on opioid-response planning.
