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Crime Rate Falls to New Lows

WUNC | By Jessica Jones

Published June 29, 2011 at 5:34 PM EDT

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North Carolina's crime level has dropped to its lowest level since 1977.

Attorney General Roy Cooper announced earlier today that crime across the state fell by 5.6 percent in 2010 from the year before. Violent crime has declined by 10.2 percent. That includes a murder that is the lowest the state has ever recorded. Cooper credits the decrease to hiring more DNA analysts and expanding the state's DNA database. He says a computer crimes unit and a center to gather information on terrorist activity have also contributed to declining crime rates. But in a statement Cooper said that recent budget cuts to law enforcement personnel and equipment will hamper the state's ability to fight crime.

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Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones covers both the legislature in Raleigh and politics across the state. Before her current assignment, Jessica was given the responsibility to open up WUNC's first Greensboro Bureau at the Triad Stage in 2009. She's a seasoned public radio reporter who's covered everything from education to immigration, and she's a regular contributor to NPR's news programs. Jessica started her career in journalism in Egypt, where she freelanced for international print and radio outlets. After stints in Washington, D.C. with Voice of America and NPR, Jessica joined the staff of WUNC in 1999. She is a graduate of Yale University.

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