Department of Justice to help tackle crime in Salisbury

SALISBURY, N.C. — Salisbury has turned to the Department of Justice for help with its crime problems.

Two other North Carolina cities, Durham and Fayetteville, have asked for the same.

Channel 9 has reported on Salisbury’s gang problems over the past three years.

"It ain't the same place I knew when I grew up,” resident Reid Pring said. “It was rough, but nowadays, more likely to catch a bullet at the bar downtown.

The town has made efforts to fix the problem by hiring more officers and working with the county.

Councilman Kenny Hardin said this level of help has been needed for more than two decades.

"I'm glad it's finally happening that we are looking for outside assistance because this continuing crime is just out of control,” Hardin said.

The Department of Justice Diagnostic Center has agreed to help Salisbury and will give its expertise to Salisbury and develop a plan to tackle criminal justice issues.

Description of DOJ's services:

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Diagnostic Center is a federal training and technical assistance resource designed to provide customized assistance to law enforcement and communities to address persistent and emerging public safety problems using evidence-based strategies. Since 2012, the OJP Diagnostic Center has worked with over 60 communities* on a wide range of public safety topics, including addressing violent crime. This assistance helps ensure resources are available to state, local and tribal communities and law enforcement agencies to reduce violent and other serious crime. The OJP Diagnostic Center’s work is driven by local needs and priorities focused on improving public safety.

A community’s engagement with the OJP Diagnostic Center begins when a local, state or tribal leader submits a request for assistance to the OJP Diagnostic Center. The OJP Diagnostic Center works with the community to understand the scope of their unique crime problems and provide analysis and recommendations for local consideration in the form of a Diagnostic Analysis. The OJP Diagnostic Center also identifies training, expertise, and technical assistance to support the community to recommendations the client community elects to pursue.

The OJP Diagnostic Center works to accommodate all communities that request assistance. If other training and technical assistance resources within or outside of the Department of Justice are better positioned to provide the assistance sought, the OJP Diagnostic Center will refer the request accordingly.

The duration of assistance varies based on the scope and complexity of community needs. Engagement summaries are developed after the Diagnostic Analysis is presented to the community.

For more information on the OJP Diagnostic Center's work with communities please visit the Requesting Organizations section of our website.

*Not all engagements are featured on the website.

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