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Kinston Police report shows mixed crime trends; chief cites reporting changes and plans to embed FBI task force officer
Summary
Kinston Police presented its 2025 annual report: a $10.2 million budget, reductions in calls for service and property crime, steady murders, an increase in shootings partly tied to NIBRS reporting, and plans to embed an FBI task force officer and pursue accreditation.
Chief Keith Goyette presented the Kinston Police Department's 2025 annual report to the council on Feb. 17, outlining crime trends, staffing, and accreditation goals.
Goyette said the department's 2025 budget totaled $10.2 million, with $1.2 million in capital outlay and $1.8 million in operating expenses; the remainder covers salaries and benefits. He reported that calls for service fell by 958 and traffic stops decreased by 237 compared with the prior year. Property crime was down 18% and violent crime decreased 29% locally, figures Goyette contrasted with statewide and national trends.
On shootings, Goyette reported murders remained at four for the fourth straight year while the number of people shot increased from 18 to 25; arrests were made in 17 of those 25 cases. He said the overall shooting incident count rose from 89 to 101 but attributed part of that increase to Kinston's transition to the NIBRS reporting system, which counts certain incidents differently than the prior FBI Uniform Crime Reporting system. Goyette said that change in reporting methodology means "there was no real increase in victimization," explaining the numeric uptick.
Goyette told council the department is coordinating with state and federal partners, including the ATF, and expects to embed an FBI task force officer within the department within two months. He also noted the department anticipates achieving North Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation by summer 2026 and CALEA accreditation by December 2026.
Councilmember Antonio Hardy asked about juvenile-case processing and recidivism; Goyette explained state juvenile justice timelines and linked some repeat offending to facility overcrowding and "Raise the Age" impacts.
The report described 73% of vehicle stops resulting in no citation or arrest, over 7,000 training hours in 2025, the department's 175th anniversary recognition, and internal awards for crime-scene staff.
The council received the report; no formal action was taken.
