Durham crime report shows increase in shootings, youth crime in 2024

A new Durham crime report shows a violent first half of 2024.

Durham city leaders will meet Thursday afternoon at Durham City Hall to hear the second quarter crime report, which covers Jan. 1, 2024, through June 30, 2024.

The data shows the number of people shot in Durham is up by about 43.8% when compared to the first six months of 2023. Deadly shootings were up 16% and non-fatal shootings were up 50%.

On Thursday, Durham City Council Member Chelsea Cook was emotional hearing the numbers.

"The trauma just ... it's a little pebble and it can really ripple out in a broad way and affect a lot of this," Cook said. "The whole community is impacted any time someone is a victim of gun violence."

In addition to the increase in shootings, crimes by people younger than 18 continue to rise in Durham.

In the first six months of 2023, the Durham Police Department recorded 192 juvenile offenses. In the first six months of 2024, there were 289 offenses involving youth, showing a nearly 50% increase in juvenile crime year-over-year.

"Kids are out here committing very adult crimes, violent adult crimes and they're also being victims of violent adult crimes, so that's a tremendous issue that I really do think goes back to guidance very early on," said Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews.

Andrews said she's hopeful with young people going back to school, parents, teachers and community members will help monitor what they're doing.

"Parents [and] guardians [are] really important people in these children's lives," Andrews said. "Guide them in a different direction."

Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams recently announced the Bull City Future Fund, an initiative to tackle the issue of crime in youth. The effort will supply more resources to community groups and non-profits that support Durham's youth.

The data in the crime report ends on June 30, 2024. WRAL News looked at data from more recent shootings and found, since July 1, there were 81 more shootings with 22 more people shot, totaling 430 shootings in Durham so far this year and 150 people shot.