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Holly Springs Chatter

Holly Springs Crime Rate Not Rising with Population Growth

Dec 26, 2019 09:50PM ● By Chris Hendricks

Even though the population has been growing, the overall crime rate has not.  Named the safest city in North Carolina in 2019 by two separate independent organizations, the Town of Holly Springs can boast a violent crime rate per 1,000 residents of .66% compared to the state average of 3.7% and the national average of 4.5%.  The property crime rate per 1,000 residents in Holly Springs is .025% compared to the state average of 2.49% and the national average of 2.57%.

“Numbers like these are no accident,” said Captain Jay Bruner, Field Operations Division Commander of the Holly Springs Police Department.  “We attribute our success to two main factors.  First, the outstanding level of support we receive from our elected officials to ensure that we are staffed appropriately and receive the equipment and training we need to be our best.  Second, our highly engaged community has partnered with us to make safety a priority in our town, and we couldn’t reach this level of excellence without their buy-in.”

Community outreach is an integral component to the Holly Springs Police Department philosophy on creating a safe community.  The police have numerous programs to engage residents of all ages, including: fishing with kids, coffee with a cop, a citizen well-check program for seniors in the community, to having one of the only Wake County communities with a School Resource Officer in every single school.  The Holly Springs Police Department believes that making connections makes all the difference.

The annual report also shows that the Police Department makes education a priority when it comes to traffic control.  With slightly over 5,000 traffic stops from November 2018 to November 2019, Holly Springs Police gave a verbal warning to 76% and citations to almost 19% of those pulled over, in addition to written warnings and arrests. 

“Just giving out tickets constantly isn’t going to change behavior,” said Captain Bruner.  “Our goal is to make people aware of their actions and make them part of the solution.  We need our residents to appreciate that we have a highly desirable town to work, live and play in, and its up to all of us to keep it safe.”

See the entire Holly Springs Police Department Annual Report presentation.