Popular southern tourist city turning 'completely lawless' under liberal leadership, residents warn

Residents from the southern mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina blasted city officials over a dramatic surge in crime and homelessness on "Fox & Friends First" Friday.

"The city has become completely lawless and all of this drifts over into our neighborhoods," Helen Hyatt said, representing the Asheville Neighborhoods Coalition. 

"It definitely seems like they're getting ready to try to listen, but we don't feel heard," Asheville Public Safety Coalition co-chair Bailey Stockwell added. "We've been trying for over a year to get the attention of local leaders and city officials. And while the support is increasing on that front, we're not getting a plan in place at all as to how they're going to mitigate public safety and the crime that's happening in the city."

Nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains and a popular tourist attraction, Asheville has seen a 31% increase in violent crime over the last five years, causing many residents to fear for their safety and their economy.

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During a city council meeting Tuesday, other residents shared their concerns.

"We have begged. Appealed. Pleaded, cajoled, implored, solicited for you to take action to make Asheville safer," one man said. 

Another woman added she is "afraid to go to work. I never felt that way before."

One man also noted that Asheville's tourism industry will suffer without "good policing."

"Why are you all refusing to protect the citizens of Asheville? It doesn't make sense," a woman pleaded to city officials. 

Local business owner Anthony Coggiola told host Todd Piro about the growing problems with homeless people committing crimes outside his business.

"It's really tough. Every day we're affected by this issue," he said. 

"We've had exposures, people exposing themselves, reversing their camera to look at people's reaction, theft, vandalism, graffiti, harassing of our staff, our guests. We've had discarded drug paraphernalia every evening, soiled clothing, human waste, break-ins, theft. That's just a week we just told you about. One week."

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Hyatt said the growing problem stems from the city's "very lax" district attorney.

"We have a very lax D.A. We have a magistrate that sets a very low bail or bond. You can come to Asheville and you can do anything and nothing's going to happen to you. The police can arrest you, but you'll be back out in the streets pretty much right away, and you can be back doing whatever you want."

"There's a lot of nonprofits that support folks if they're camping if they're homeless in the encampment, and nobody really seems to care. So the word is out in the street," she said. "If you want to be a bum, just come to Asheville and that will be good. 

Like other cities struggling with crime such as Los Angeles and New York City, Asheville has lost more than 100 officers since May 2020. Asheville Chief of Police David Zach told Fox News Digital that the department is 42% down in the force. 

"I think what we're looking for is an equal, if not a more of an investment in a plan for public safety and for increasing the police force as it is now because, without them, we're going to continue to decline," Stockwell said. 

Local business owner Anthony Coggiola agreed with Stockwell that a plan is needed including one that bolsters the police force, but he added that it will take the whole community to help save their city.

"I really like the police officers, the department, the men and women are doing the very best they can, but they're just not very well-supported," he said.

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"It certainly is going to take the whole community. It's going to take us business owners, residents that all come together collectively. It can't be just put on the feet of the police."