Black Mountain police chief outlines building needs, staffing shortfalls and falling crime in annual report

The Black Mountain Police Chief told the Town Council the department faces pressing operational strains even as several crime measures have declined. The chief said engineers found two walls at the police station that are "bowing out," creating an urgent facility need as the department balances repairs, vehicle replacement and day-to-day operations.

"We've seen some things that are pretty horrific," the chief said while summarizing engineers' findings, and warned that the building's condition and limited space complicate staffing and equipment storage.

On staffing, the chief said the department is effectively five positions short—three vacancies plus two officers on medical leave—and stressed the challenge of competing with neighboring jurisdictions for experienced officers. He pointed to examples of higher advertised pay in nearby towns and said the town's salary structure has "pay compression" at supervisory ranks, which hampers retention.

At the same time, the chief presented multi-year crime figures from the State Bureau of Investigation showing declines in several categories. According to the figures he cited, vehicle thefts fell from 20 in 2020 to three in 2025; violent crime fell from 13 in 2020 to two in the most recent year; and property crime decreased from the 200s to 90 last year.

"These statistics are straight from the State Bureau of Investigations," the chief said, adding that those data helped show a steady downward trend since 2020. He cautioned that single-year anomalies can mislead and recommended observing 3-to-5-year windows for trend evaluation.

The chief also briefed council on technology and fleet needs. He flagged an anticipated $126,000 county RMS/CAD integration cost and described a fleet in poor condition, including several donated vehicles that lack required radios or in-car cameras. He said a recent transmission failure on a 2018 patrol vehicle illustrated the difficult repair-or-replace choices the department faces with limited operating funds.

Council members pressed for clarification about calls for service inside town limits and enforcement impacts; the chief said he would follow up with a breakdown. He also described the department's school resource officer arrangement with Buncombe County Schools, which, he said, pays 60% of the officer's salary and benefits.

Council members asked for the chief's budget priorities as staff prepare next year's budget. The council did not take any immediate budget votes during the report; the chief closed by highlighting the department's accreditation milestone and community outreach projects.

The council will consider budget implications during the upcoming budget cycle; the report will inform those deliberations.