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Police chief: overall crime down 10% from 2023 but juvenile crime and motor‑vehicle thefts rose
Summary
Chief Braden reported a roughly 10% drop in total crime year‑to‑date versus 2023 and a decade‑long decline in many categories, but he warned of rising juvenile assaults, motor‑vehicle thefts and organized retail theft; staff highlighted ShotSpotter value and recruitment gains from a step pay plan.
Police Chief Braden presented the Fayetteville Police Department’s 2024 annual report to council on Feb. 24, saying overall crime was down nearly 10% compared with 2023 and that person and property crimes declined by double digits in several categories.
Braden said homicides decreased compared with a high recent baseline and that many violent incidents involved firearms; he noted that about 70% of homicides involved firearms and that recovered‑firearm work and federal partnerships have produced federal indictments, asset seizures and firearm removals.
The chief flagged increases in juvenile crime: assaults involving juveniles rose from 152 incidents in 2023 to 245 in 2024, and juvenile‑involved motor‑vehicle thefts rose from 51 to 97. Shoplifting and organized retail theft also increased; Braden said theft rings frequently target major retailers for high‑value items and that suspects have become more aggressive.
The department described technology and partnerships driving investigations: ShotSpotter alerts generated casings and NIBIN leads that would not have been detected by 911 alone, and federal task forces produced substantial drug seizures in recent operations. On staffing, Braden said the department had 37 sworn vacancies (some frozen), reported successful lateral recruiting (19 sworn lateral hires since July) and that the new step pay plan reduced resignations.
Council members pressed for targeted, non‑policing interventions for juvenile crime and for sustained visibility and community engagement; several council members praised the department’s clearance rates for homicide cases. The council received the report by motion and vote.
