Law enforcement to increase patrols in Winston-Salem due to uptick in violence

The Winston-Salem Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office are looking to increase officer visibility following a recent uptick in shootings.

There were five homicides, all gun-related, in Winston-Salem last week. And early Monday morning, there was a drive-by shooting into a house occupied by multiple children under the age of 10. 

As a result of the spike in violence, city and county law enforcement officials say they’re increasing the number of officers patrolling the streets effective immediately. 

At a Monday press conference, Winston-Salem Chief of Police William Penn, Jr. would not say how many officers were being added, but did say their placement would be data-driven. 

"We're going to go where the crime is occurring, where the shots are being fired, where folks feel like they have to resolve conflict with weapons," Penn said. "That's where we'll be.”

Penn added that the recent homicides were isolated incidents, and that most violent crime is trending downward. So far this year, there have been 17 homicides in Winston-Salem, compared to 28 for the same time frame in 2023.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.