Not only have murders been on the rise in the city of Durham, but the police department is experiencing a severe staffing shortage. | Canva
Not only have murders been on the rise in the city of Durham, but the police department is experiencing a severe staffing shortage. | Canva
Although violent crime overall is down in Durham, murders jumped 35% from 2020 to 2021, ABC 11 reported.
Durham is down 81 police officers, which may contribute to the issue. The city is looking for new and creative ways to recruit people to become officers for the Durham Police Department.
Victims' families also spoke out about how they hope Durham Police find solutions to the problem.
"I would love to be able to look this guy or guys in their eyes and tell them the pain they caused our family," Delmoninca Cuthbertson, whose 19-year-old son Jayvion was shot last July and survived, told ABC 11. Jayvion underwent 13 surgeries over a two-month period, and at one point was in a coma on a ventilator. He continues to recover from the severe damage to his body.
Durham Police haven't contacted her in months about her son's case, she said.
"At this point, I just had to let it go. So, yeah, I just came to the realization that they'll never find the shooter and Jayvion's case is just another statistic, another young black man that honestly society has labeled," Cuthbertson told ABC 11.
Police Chief Patrice Andrews acknowledged that Durham has experienced more violence than other cities but couldn't attribute it to a single cause.
"We are all feeling an increase," Andrews said, according to ABC 11. "I think what we are seeing with the number of shootings is more of that here in our city."
The clearance rate for murders has significantly improved, bringing it closer to the FBI average, the police chief said.
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