Interim police chief reports 24% drop in violent crime; property crime and collisions warrant attention

Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp presented a quarterly and year‑end review to the Asheville City Public Safety Committee on Jan. 29, 2026, summarizing city crime trends and operational priorities.

Stepp reported a 24% reduction in violent crime in 2025 compared with prior periods and called out a 54% reduction in homicides—the department's lowest homicide rate since 2017. She attributed improvements to a combination of factors: increased staffing supported by the council, investigators, targeted technology and data‑driven hotspot policing, and strong community partnerships.

At the same time, Stepp said property crime showed a 10% increase in 2025 compared with 2024, but she noted that overall property crime remains 2% lower than 2021 levels and that part of the year‑over‑year change reflects increased reporting after the department encouraged businesses and outlets to file police reports. Committee members asked for district breakdowns; Stepp indicated Southeast and West Asheville showed higher property‑crime calls.

Traffic collisions continue to rise even as traffic fatalities reportedly fell (Stepp cited 23 fatalities in 2024 vs. 16 in 2025). Stepp reminded the committee of a budget request for a civilian traffic crash program being proposed in the upcoming budget cycle; the program will be reviewed alongside other citywide budget requests.

Council members asked about measures to avoid profiling; Stepp described multiple accountability mechanisms including policy, an integrity unit that reviews body‑worn camera footage, and reporting requirements after certain stops. No formal action or vote occurred on the briefing.