Lenoir public safety numbers show mixed results in Quarter 2

More people were arrested and more charges were filed by Lenoir police in the second quarter of 2026 than last year in the same time period, while the city’s firefighters took nearly twice as long on average to reach emergency calls — numbers officials warn might be difficult to compare with previous years.

Total arrests have steadily climbed since the second quarter of 2025, increasing from 446 — 77 felony and 369 misdemeanors — to 547 — 99 felony and 448 misdemeanors.

In the same period, the police department counted 155 felony charges and 557 misdemeanor charges across adult and juvenile populations, a total of 712 charges.

“The figures measure two different elements,” said Lenoir Police Chief Andy Wilson. “A single investigation, incident, or arrest may result in multiple charges. For that reason, the number of charges may exceed the number of reported violations, and the two figures will not necessarily increase or fall together.”

Included in those 448 misdemeanor arrests were 90 involuntary commitments, another metric that has seen growth from 68 at the same time last year to 90 this past quarter.

“These cases can involve a range of circumstances, including threats of self-harm, threats to others, acute psychiatric episodes and other behavioral-health crises,” Wilson said.

“The department is reviewing these calls to determine if there are recurring factors or measurable changes in the frequency or nature of the situations officers are encountering. … Many involuntary commitments managed by officers develop through the broader civil behavioral-health process and have no connection to a criminal charge.”

LPD reported seizing nearly twice the monetary value in illegal narcotics as the second quarter of 2025, confiscating more than $128,000, largely comprised of 257 grams of methamphetamine, 96.9 grams of fentanyl, 2,690.8 grams of marijuana gummies, and 47.3 grams of crack cocaine.

The department also assisted other law enforcement agencies in drug investigations, seizing $1.88 million in illegal narcotics. Wilson explained that some of the investigations were still ongoing and that he didn’t want to share details on the specific cases at this time.

“It should not be interpreted as $1.88 million in narcotics seized exclusively from cases originating within the City of Lenoir. … Releasing case specific information could compromise an investigation or interfere with the judicial process. The department will coordinate with the lead agencies and release additional information if or when it’s appropriate,” he said.

LENOIR FIRE DEPARTMENT

In the last year, the time between an emergency call and the first-arriving apparatus has nearly doubled, with responses taking five minutes 53 seconds on average, compared to three minutes five seconds in the second quarter of 2025.

Fire Department Chief Norman Staines explained that the past two quarters are probably the worst time to compare numbers to recent years, however, because the data input changed so dramatically.

“Call response depends on where calls are,” said Staines, explaining that the issue had been consistent across the first two quarters. “If all the calls are within a quarter mile of the station, one quarter, (it takes less time). … It truly is luck of the draw where the calls are that quarter.”

In total, the second quarter of 2026 saw a decline from 2025’s 844 incidents to 787.

Due to the changes in weather patterns such as the ice and snow storm early in the year, Staines also suggested that high-volume days could push the averages up, slightly skewing the numbers over the first two quarters and possibly affecting future reports through days with severe thunderstorms like on July 4.

Staines said on days like those, responders barely had time to get back to the station after a call before they were back out the door for another.

As time spent responding to calls increased, so did the amount of fire-related calls — from 264 in the same data period of 2025 to 314 in 2026 — while the amount of medical calls dipped from 580 to 473.

North Carolina departments started using NERIS (National Emergency Response Information System) in January this year, replacing the NFIRS (National Fire Incident Reporting System). According to Staines, this also skews the numbers.

He explained that it would be easier to understand once the department had a full January to January set of metrics.

“I think the disclaimer’s got to be, we’re under the new NERIS system,” Staines explained. “You’re truly comparing an iPhone to an Android and how they operate, because the numbers are completely tracking different.”