Raleigh tests new tactics, more police in Glenwood South to fight crime, noise

Reports of crime in Glenwood South are up over the last year, but so are police patrols in the downtown nightlife district.

“Those numbers are generated from officers that are out there trying to find the problems before they occur,” Lt. R. Bowen of the Raleigh Police Department said Tuesday.

“The felony drug violations, the misdemeanor drug violations, the driving while impaired, the concealed weapons and the illegal weapons. That’s directly from the officers mostly in the perimeter, finding the drugs and guns before they get to Glenwood itself,” Bowen said.

Residents concerned about traffic, noise and crime pushed city leaders in 2021 for changes. On Tuesday, the Raleigh City Council heard updates on what’s been done..

Assistant City Manager Evan Raleigh said the city has tried to balance safety with the liveliness of the district.

“It’s been a really intensive and comprehensive effort to try to address all the facets of life in Glenwood South,” Raleigh said. “Trying to do it in a way that doesn’t detract from the vibrancy that I think we all want, but making sure that there’s safety and security for those visiting the district and, you know, peace and comfort and safety for those that live in and around the districts as well.”

‘Mixing guns and alcohol is not a good idea’

Glenwood South is a half-mile stretch of Glenwood Avenue bordered by Peace Street to the north and Hillsborough Street to the south. Restaurants and bars on sidestreets also draw crowds.

The Police Department added more Glenwood South patrols on weekend nights, and there are plans for a full-time hospitality squad, referencing the hospitality district that surrounds Glenwood South, according to Bowen’s presentation to the City Council.

More than double the “illegal firearms” have been collected in 2022 compared to 2021. And while calls for service were down 18%, the number of “reported incidents” increased 16%. Bowen said 206 guns have been seized in two years.

“We’ve been focusing on getting guns out of the areas around Glenwood South,” Bowen said. “Mixing guns and alcohol is not a good idea.

“We don’t want those guns to make their way to Glenwood South itself, so the officers working the areas around the parking lots and the perimeter around Glenwood South have been extremely successful,” Bowen said.

Michael Lindsay, who lives in nearby Forest Park, shared video with The News & Observer from his doorbell camera that captured the sound of gunfire within the last month.

“We love where we live, but this is getting downright freaky,” he wrote in an email. “And this is not the first time we’ve heard gun shots in the last month.

“This incident was on West Johnson Street; a few weeks ago there were gun shots on Woodburn Road,” Lindsay wrote. “All in what should be a quiet residential neighborhood. But thanks to the spillover from Glenwood South that peace is being violated.”

Noise and traffic concerns

The city also created a new feedback form for people to report noise complaints about specific businesses. The form can be found online at maps.raleighnc.gov/noise-feedback.

Since July 1 through February, there have been nearly 5,000 traffic citations in the Glenwood South area with more than 1,000 of them issued in areas where only residents are allowed to park. About 10% are repeat offenders.

The city wants to alter citation charges and will come back to the City Council in April as part of the city’s budget process.

Fine increases should be focused on “deterring the behavior,” said council member Stormie Forte. The fine shouldn’t be comparable to the cost of parking in a parking deck, she said.

“I’m just looking at some ways to really grab folks’ attention,” she said. “And I understood you to say that there are not a lot of repeat violators. But I think if you’re paying a $500 fine or your car is getting towed the word will get out whether you’re a one-time offender or not.”

Council member Jane Harrison, who represents Glenwood South, said she’s had conversations with neighbors about their frustrations with the nightlife district.

“This continues to be a hot spot of sometimes concern,” she said. “But I think these are the types of initiatives that will really make a difference.”

She also said she wants members of the City Council to go to Glenwood South on a late weekend night.

“For anyone who’d like to go to Glenwood South together, as a council, I’ll be sending an invite,” she said.