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• Asheville should shift public safety funding toward prevention and community stability instead of continued expansion of expensive reactive policing systems (new)

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• Buncombe County’s proposed revitalization initiatives and FY2027 budget lack meaningful anti-displacement safeguards (unresolved)

New Issue: Asheville should shift public safety funding toward prevention and community stability instead of continued expansion of expensive reactive policing systems

This week’s GAP Report examines Asheville’s FY2027 budget debate through the lens of public safety. As the City considers continued investment in policing technology and surveillance systems, it is also weighing cuts to community infrastructure like recreation center hours. Our report asks whether Asheville is investing in the systems that most effectively prevent violence before it happens.

Drawing on our longer special report Preventing Violence Before it Happens: Why Asheville Should Rebalance Public Safety Priorities in FY2027, we argue that prevention-oriented strategies — including youth outreach, mentorship, trauma-informed services, and community stability investments — can produce stronger long-term safety outcomes at lower cost than continued expansion of reactive policing infrastructure. Our research highlights programs like Chicago’s BAM initiative, where mentorship and behavioral intervention programs yielded major reductions in violent crime involvement among participating youth.

Report Back: Buncombe County’s Anti-Displacement Debate

Last week, we raised concerns about the lack of a broader anti-displacement framework in the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners’ decision-making. In the meeting discussion, county leaders acknowledged affordability concerns, but did not substantially engage with the broader structural displacement issues raised in the report.

The discussion reinforced a growing concern that Buncombe County continues approaching housing instability on a project-by-project basis rather than through a coordinated long-term anti-displacement strategy.

Because the County continues to ignore our written communication on this issue, we invite you to join us in making a public comment at their next formal meeting on June 2. Public comment is one of the first items on the County agenda for each meeting, so it takes place shortly after 5 pm. If you can join us at 200 College Street next Tuesday, please sign up below and we’ll follow up with you.