North Carolina police department stops responding to certain non-emergency crimes amid 'staffing crisis'
Asheville Police Department says it has 'lost' 84 officers since start of 2020
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}North Carolina’s Asheville Police Department (APD) has ordered its officers not to respond to certain types of crimes so that the agency can adequately answer more serious calls for help amid a "staffing crisis."
APD will no longer respond in-person to 911 calls involving certain incidents where suspect information is not available; harassing phone calls that don’t include threats to life, unless they are related to stalking or domestic violence; identity theft and other scams, and trespassing reports that don’t involve pressing charges, among other incidents, the department said in a Wednesday announcement.
A full list of the calls to which officers will no longer respond can be found in the department's Facebook post.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}APD’s staffing numbers have decreased by 84 officers since the start of 2020, the department said. According to the Police Executive Research Forum, APD boasted 238 sworn officers as of 2019.
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The department is instead asking victims of any of the crimes listed to file a police report through the "Police to Citizen" online reporting tool. They can also call (828) 252-1110 and request that an officer respond when one becomes available, although the department warns that they might experience a "significant" response delay.
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