Although it seems like everything has changed in 2020, one thing that apparently has not is crime.

Assistant City Manager Trey Davis sent out a report this week on the data from the city’s public safety departments for the week July 19 through July 26.

Davis said that all the coronavirus restrictions had not had a significant impact on crime. He said, “We thought they would but they really haven’t.”

Davis did note that traffic fatalities are way down for the year. There have been 17 traffic fatalities in Greensboro this year, which include five pedestrian deaths and 12 motor vehicle deaths.

Davis noted that both violent crime and homicides are up this year. There have been 32 homicides this year and there was one the week of July 19-26.

Police Chief Brian James at a press conference on July 7 said that after having seven homicides in seven days that the city was on pace to set a record for homicides.

Davis said that although the pace has slowed, it appeared that with 32 homicides before the end of July that the city was still headed toward breaking a record that no one wants to break. He did say that arrests had been made in about 54 percent of those homicides, which was above the national average for a cities of similar size.

In the week of July 19-26 there were 26 aggravated assaults and 15 of those were with a firearm. For the year there have been 1,072 aggravated assaults and 696 of those involved a firearm.

Davis said that while homicides get more media attention, the Police Department keeps a close watch on the aggravated assaults. He said, “Often times those aggravated assaults particularly with firearms lead to retaliation and can cause a great deal of damage to the community.”

Davis said, “In the midst of calls to defund the police, calls for change and calls for protest, the police department is still driving really hard with its efforts to engage the community.”

Davis gave James much of the credit for those efforts to engage with the community even in the midst of the COVID-19 restrictions when community meetings and similar events can’t be held.

The report states, “Chief Brian James and the Deputy Chiefs have held over 30 meetings with community and business members, partners and those interested in partnering along with speaker requests via online platform since early June.”

About