FIGHTING CRIME - LARGE INCREASE DEMANDS CONCERTED ACTION

The recently released crime statistics show a spike in the number of crimes
committed in Greenville and should be a call for dedicated citizens to
redouble efforts to make this community safer.

Crime statistics can misrepresent an area's lawlessness, but preliminary
numbers saw Greenville's overall crime rate jump 16.3 percent from 1999 to
2000. Violent crime rose 6.5 percent in that period. Murder, assault,
burglary, larceny and auto theft all saw increases. Only robberies
decreased and the instances of rape remained the same.

Recent fluctuations in the crime rate should soften the blow of such an
increase; the rate dropped nearly 16 percent from 1998 to 1999. But that
followed a 13 percent rise the year prior and gradual increases before
that. Greenville's crime rate annually ranks with the state's largest cities.

The factors that contribute to the city's high crime rate are many. The
city's status as an oasis of prosperity amid a region of poverty is one,
and the recent economic downturn is another. Those are beyond citizens'
control, and will always be fodder for criminal activity.

Cities successful in reducing crime routinely identify four areas of
emphasis: education, employment, policing and rehabilitation. Citizens
dedicated to making Greenville safer must begin here.

Vigilant adherence to high education standards can help reduce crime.
Progress in the Legislature and Pitt County's compact for education funding
have made strides in improving the state's public education system, but
success will not come overnight. Education will continue to require the
public's dedicated support to show a worthwhile return.

As a regional hub of employment, Pitt County finds itself well suited to
lure industry and keep its citizens employed. Where the decline of farming
has harmed most of the East, Pitt County's medical community and its
university have helped ease the economic transition. Officials must
continue to create a welcoming environment for business to locate here. Low
unemployment, regionally as well as locally, will reduce crime.

The timing of these statistics is disappointing, as local boards have
finalized many budget decisions for the next fiscal year. But funding of
the region's police and sheriff's departments is paramount. This crime jump
should also cause those in charge to consider the effectiveness of their
tactics. Additionally, officers and deputies should make added efforts to
forge relationships with members of the community in high crime areas.
Those relationships will pay dividends.

Finally, the nation's reluctance to help rehabilitate criminals who are
receptive to those overtures fails society. Lawbreaking, in many cases,
demands incarceration as a fitting punishment, but attempting to
rehabilitate the guilty might halt a career criminal before the second and
third offenses. Rehabilitation has proved most effective with substance
abusers, which also helps reduce crimes associated with drugs. In
Greenville, especially, generous funding for effective programs should be
considered.

Citizens dedicated to making Greenville safer, as well as those charged
with reducing crime and the citizens' protection, must take these numbers
as a wake-up call. It will take the effort of all concerned to make
noticeable progress and reverse this trend.