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North Carolina city limits in-person policing after losing 84 cops

A North Carolina police department will no longer respond in person to certain types of complaints amid a “staffing crisis,” according to a report.

Asheville police are urging the public to file a complaint through a website or to call them to report crimes such as identity theft, trespassing which doesn’t involve pressing charges, and harassing phone calls unless the calls include a threat to life, according to a report.

The measure is intended to free up police officers to respond to more serious crimes in the city of 91,000, the Asheville Police Department said in a statement on Facebook Wednesday announcing the measures.

The police department has “lost” 84 officers since January 1, 2020, the statement said. According to the Police Executive Forum, the Asheville police department had 238 officers on staff in 2019.

The police department is asking citizens to file an online police report or call to request an officer as they become available, warning that callers may experience “significant” delays in response for things such as noise complaints.