Has violence in High Point subsided?

April 09--HIGH POINT -- Was the wave of violence that tore through the city last year an anomaly?

It's too soon to tell, but if the first quarter of this year is any indication, the violence appears to have subsided

By the end of the the first quarter of 2017, from January through March, the city saw seven killings.

One man was shot in his yard in the middle of the day on a Wednesday while children played outside at an elementary school across the street. One man was stabbed to death in the doorway of his home during the night. Another was gunned down in the street on a Wednesday afternoon while holding a toddler's hand. A business owner was stabbed to death during a robbery on S. Main Street on a Saturday afternoon. A woman was strangled to death sometime during the night. A great-grandmother was caught in the crossfire during a drive-by involving rival gangs. A teenager was shot in the back at a motel.

By the end of last year, 21 people had been killed. It was the most killings the city had seen since 1973, when there were 24.

The community rallied against the violence by holding meetings to talk about solutions and hanging signs along streets in East Central and South Side neighborhoods pleading for peace.

By the end of the year, 29 people were charged in connection with a homicide.

'A CONCENTRATED EFFORT'

Police quickly attributed last year's violence to gangs and drugs, and vowed to restore peace to neighborhoods where the sound of gunfire became the norm.

High Point Police Lt. Curtis Cheeks III said officers often have an idea of who's involved. But there's a difference in knowing who's involved and having enough evidence to charge someone.

"One of the things we're challenged with is having to make sure if we pick someone up, there's enough to substantiate the charges," Cheeks said. "That way, we can keep those people, especially violent offenders, confined."

Throughout the year, the police department stuck to its focused-deterrence model for policing. The strategy focuses on known violent offenders. The department started doing focused policing in 1997 when the city was averaging 13 homicides per year. In the 10 years prior to 2017, the city was averaging six homicides per year.

"We made a concentrated effort on the groups of individuals who we knew were directly driving the violence," Cheeks said. "We were able to get the majority of those people off the streets."

'IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE'

Since the beginning of this year, three people have been killed. One of the three killings was gang-related, according to police. One was a dispute between two people where a man died from a head injury after he was punched near the cash registers at Walmart on N. Main Street.

Police said a recent homicide, where a woman was stabbed to death by her boyfriend, was domestic-related.

Gang-related shootings drove last years violent crime, and the community also plays a role in helping police drive it back down, Cheeks said.

"After a shooting, these groups get a little confidence because they think they got away with it," he said. "When they know people are calling and people are providing information that we need, not only to investigate but to hold them accountable, it makes a difference."

More people did start calling last year. Crimestoppers, which allows people to anonymously give information, awarded more than $18,500 in tips to people who provided police with information. It was a record year for the nonprofit that works hand-in-hand with police. Tipsters helped police solve three homicides. They also helped police solve a bank robbery and seize illegal drugs and guns.

Violent crime is down across the board for the first quarter of the year. Violent crime includes homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

The number of robberies and aggravated assaults with guns dropped by nearly half. Last year, there were 176 violent crimes reported during the first quarter of the year. Since Jan. 1, there have been 118 violent crimes reported.

Cheeks said it's important to have community support, such as getting calls "when a car starts driving through the area or looks suspicious."

"It's a two-part approach with police and the community," he said.

As far as if last year's wave of violence was an anomaly, Cheeks said "there's still a long way to go."

Anyone with information on a crime can call Crimestoppers of High Point at 336-889-4000 or text the tip to 274637 using the keyword 'CASHTIPS.' All calls and texts are anonymous. Crimestoppers pays up to $5,000 for successful tips.

If you see a crime in progress, or police are needed immediately, call 911.

nstewart@hpenews.com -- 336-888-3601 -- @NatalieLStewart

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