Buncombe County Sheriff’s Community Oriented Problem Solving (COPS) team visited with Swannanoa residents in September to listen to their concerns about the community. The major issues voiced by community members at the September meeting were speeding, crime and loose dogs.

COPS teams work in specific communities for 30 days, identifying key issues, speaking with community leaders and residents, creating an action plan, and then presenting their findings and suggestions to the community at the end of the 30-day period. This was the fourth COPS team visit to Swannanoa.

Sheriff Van Duncan and the team returned in October to report that they increased their presence in the community; performed a traffic study; implemented checkpoints and conducted radar speed enforcement; issued citations; and assigned an officer to talk with owners of loose dogs.”Crime-wise, Swannanoa is in much better shape than when we first came out 1½ years ago,” said Sheriff Duncan. “Each time, we find fewer and fewer issues. There is no indication of organized gang activity in Swannanoa.”

That was good news to residents, along with more good news that a Sheriff’s substation is planned for the community in 2015, to be located in the main Swannanoa fire station, 103 South Avenue.