Building a Downtown for All A Place to Live, Work, Play, and Thrive

Keeping Our Downtown Safe and Clean

When downtown feels safe and clean, people notice - and they come back. Whether you're meeting friends for coffee, taking your kids to a park, or walking to work, a well-maintained downtown creates a sense of comfort and pride. Clean sidewalks, good lighting, and visible safety efforts show that the City cares about its people and its future. These everyday details make a big difference in how we experience our community—and in how others see it, too.  

Downtown Public Safety

The Raleigh Police Department works with private partners to ensure your safety in downtown. Concerns center around the GoRaleigh station, which saw an increase in violent and property crime from 2022 to 2023. So far this year, though, RPD reports a 20-percent reduction in violent crime in this area, and overall crime in Raleigh continues to decrease (view Raleigh's crime data).

Increased enforcement has brought a 27-percent increase in quality-of-life violations. While arrest numbers are up, this means aggressive panhandling, drug activity, and loitering are being met with a strong response.  

What are the Raleigh Police Department and the City doing:

• Formed the Transit, Recon, and Community Engagement (TRACE) Unit.
• Closed the Wilmington Street tunnel.
• Targeted staffing and coordinated with private and law enforcement partners to address a full spectrum of issues Downtown. Used mobile cameras to feed data to Real Time Crime Center.
• Coordinated ACORNS “Connect” events.
• Moved RPD headquarters to downtown.

For more information, see the “Downtown Safety and Quality of Life” presentation’s slides No. 12 and 13.