RPD reports rise in violent crime for 2021

ROCKINGHAM — The Rockingham Police Department reported an increase in violent crime across murder, robbery and rape in 2021.

“Violent crimes, murders, robberies, rapes, assaults, were up quite a bit,” said Chief George Gillenwater while presenting the data to the Rockingham City Council Tuesday night. “I know that that is not singular to the City of Rockingham. Those are up across the board nationally. Gun violence, particularly in our youth, is up across the board nationally.”

In 2021, there were six murders, 11 robberies, 5 rapes, 177 assaults, and 170 drug violations within city limits. In 2020, those figures were two murders, three robberies, zero rape, 110 assaults and 95 drug violations.

Mayor John Hutchinson pointed out that the increase in violent crime, while higher than recent years, is still lower than the data from 2016.

“We’re at a point that’s higher than it was, but it’s not as high as it has been [before],” Hutchinson said. “It puts things in perspective and [shows] that we’re not anywhere we haven’t been before.”

Total felony arrests for 2021 were 344, compared to 297 for 2020. Both of these are significantly less than 2018 and 2019, which saw 569 and 487 felony arrests, respectively.

The department had 570 total felony charges, 382 misdemeanor arrests and 707 misdemeanor charges for 2021.

Due to gang violence in Richmond County, RPD, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has a Task Force Officer who works in conjunction with other agencies to develop and help prosecute violent criminal cases on the federal level. RPD was able to federally indict five violent offenders through the U.S. Attorney’s middle district office.

The Rockingham Police Department answered 17,195 calls in 2021, a decrease of 125 from the previous year. Half of those calls were non-criminal in nature, such as bank escorts or unlocking vehicles.

Domestic violence and disturbance accounted for 664 individual calls, 3.86% of the total calls that RPD responded to, in 2021. Public service calls accounted for 3,208 calls, 18.66% of the total.

This year, RPD safely disposed of 276 pounds of unused medication.

In January of 2022, RPD received a grant, totaling $24,225, to replace four portable radios.

“In 2021 we continued to navigate an already difficult job, made more difficult by the continued effects and restrictions that the COVID pandemic has caused,” reads the summary of the report. “As we have learned to adjust to a modified way of work, we continue to explore new ways to make training and education a priority, engage in community policing and embrace new leadership.”