RALEIGH, N.C. — Crime in downtown Raleigh has increased significantly in the last eight months, according to the Raleigh Police Department.
The city and Downtown Raleigh Alliance are working on solutions, including hiring private security to patrol certain areas of the city such as Moore Square, Glenwood South and the GoRaleigh bus terminal.
What You Need To Know
- Crime is increasing in certain areas of downtown Raleigh
- The Downtown Raleigh Alliance hired unarmed private security to patrol the downtown core
- The city of Raleigh is also hiring armed private security officers to patrol the GoRaleigh bus terminal
- Private security officers have the same training as city law enforcement but will not be able to make arrests
The Downtown Raleigh Alliance hired unarmed private security officers to help patrol the downtown core of the city. They started Oct. 31.
The city of Raleigh also wants to hire its own armed private security officers, like Roy Taylor, as extra protection for the GoRaleigh bus terminal.
“If they see a lot of people that look like police officers or are police officers, the likelihood is that they'll move their activities somewhere else," Taylor said.
Taylor has been in law enforcement for 40 years on the federal, state, local and now private levels. He’s the chief of his own company — Capitol Special Police.
“I thought that once, you know, people saw the effects of 9/11, the terrorism acts would go up in the United States and people would want to see a larger law enforcement presence,” Taylor said. “But unfortunately, there's only so many police officers or deputy sheriffs to go around.”
Raleigh police are increasing patrols in crime hot spots downtown, but with more than 80 open positions in the department, they could use some help.
“By contracting with a private police department and private security companies, they're able to make that a force multiplier and put us in the problem areas to try to deter crime,” Taylor said. “I don't understand what's happened to society as a whole, that they just seem to be more lawless than they did a few years ago. We just see a decline in respect for law. And when we see that, it makes everybody's life more miserable.”
Taylor says private security officers have the same type of training as city law enforcement. Increased crime, understaffed police departments and more private security officers are trends seen across the state and country.
“We're one small piece of it,” Taylor said. “But, you know, I've got a big vision. And one thing I tell every officer that I hire is it’s your job to be a resource. You're not a law enforcement officer. You're not the punisher. You are a resource.”
Taylor says private security officers won’t have the ability to make arrests, but they do have the power to detain people and will work closely with the Raleigh Police Department to take steps to keep people safe.
The armed private security officers at the bus terminal don’t have a start date yet. Taylor says his company is one of the private security officer companies in the running for the GoRaleigh bus terminal area.