Homicide Rate Jumps In Winston-Salem, But Will It Continue?

The homicide rate in Winston-Salem jumped in the first half of 2016. In that period, the city has experienced 14 homicides; in the same six-month window last year, there were just seven.  

Winston-Salem police say the crimes are not connected. They usually involve a personal relationship, and while a variety of weapons have been used, guns are the most common.

Winston-Salem police lieutenant Steve Tollie says that homicides are cyclical in nature, and stresses that an increase over a short period does not necessarily indicate a pattern that's here to stay.

“I don't believe this snapshot is statistically long enough to say we're an upward trend," Tollie says. "I'm optimistic that for the final five months of the year maybe the stats will swing the other way and we'll be below the average number.”

Of the 14 homicides in 2016, Winston-Salem Police have cleared 12 of their investigations. In light of the increase, the department is trying some new tactics, focusing on reaching out to citizens to help generate witnesses and leads. They've had mixed results.

"One of the most disturbing things I've experienced is the reluctance of witnesses to come forward. In response, we've done programs to encourage anyone with information to cooperate," he says. "We recently had 100 officers canvas neighborhoods distributing 1000 fliers - we generated six new leads for our efforts."

Tollie believes that true success would mean no homicides, but says that's not realistic for a city of Winston-Salem's size. Instead, he has hope that citizens will find new ways to solve disputes. He also believes that holding criminals accountable will help deter future events.

"Any homicide is a tragedy. The ones that bother me most are those that involve a child, as a victim or a witness. When I retire, those will be the ones that stick with me. They are the most innocent of victims."

If you have information on any open homicide cases from this or previous years, you can call Crimestoppers at 336-727-2800.