Greensboro Homicide Rate Climbs Toward Record High

With still a few months left in the year, Greensboro has seen a total of 35 homicides. The record for the city was set in 2007 with a total of 39.

Due to the high number, the police department has moved resources to their homicide investigation unit.

The majority of the killings involve firearms, usually a handgun. Motives vary, but most common are disputes that turn violent.

Arrests have been made in just over half the cases. Chief Deputy Brian James with the Greensboro Police Department's Investigative Bureau says the public plays a major role in helping to solving these crimes.

“One thing we've done in the past and continue to do," he says, "is to try to build relationships in the community. Hopefully that will inspire people to communicate with us more, let us know what's going on in their neighborhoods so we can try to prevent and detect crime before it happens.”

James says gangs have been involved in some cases. That doesn't change how an investigation is done, but it does help police in detecting and disrupting additional criminal activity.