The Asheville Police Department (APD) is changing how its Community Resource Officers (CROs) work with neighborhoods, with the goal of strengthening local relationships and improving community-level problem-solving.

New East Asheville CRO

Senior Police Officer Justin Lewis is now serving as the East Asheville Community Resource Officer, replacing Carrie Lee. A Western North Carolina native, Lewis has served with the Asheville Police Department since 2016 and currently works in the Baker District Patrol Division. During his career, he has served as a field training officer and patrol forensics technician and is currently a member of APD’s Crisis Negotiation Team and Peer Support program. 

Community members can reach Lewis at jlewis2@ashevillenc.gov or 828-271-6145. APD’s Community Resource Officers can also be reached at APDCommunityResource@ashevillenc.gov.

CROs Moving Into Patrol Districts

Community policing is a department-wide philosophy at APD. As part of this transition, CROs will move from a centralized office and become embedded directly within their local Patrol Districts. This will allow CROs to work more closely with the beat officers assigned to our neighborhoods.

The goal is to:

• Create greater ownership and accountability at the officer level.
• Provide mentorship and support for newer members of the department.
• Improve communication between CROs and patrol officers.
• Address localized neighborhood concerns more quickly.
• Strengthen collaboration between APD and the communities it serves.

Neighborhoods will still have a dedicated point of contact. This change is intended to enhance and expand APD's commitment to community policing—not reduce it.

New Initiatives

APD is also launching two targeted programs:

• High-Activity Corridors: A dedicated CRO will focus exclusively on high-demand commercial areas including Downtown, Tunnel Road, and Haywood Road, working on targeted problem-solving efforts and partnering with the City’s future co-responder program.

• Housing Authority Policing Team: A new dedicated team will focus entirely on public housing communities, building relationships with residents, property managers, and future resident councils while working to improve safety and quality of life within Housing Authority communities.

Division Changes

Effective July 4, 2026, APD’s Community Engagement Division was renamed the Specialized Operations Division to better reflect its evolving responsibilities. CROs will now become part of the Patrol Division.

The Specialized Operations Division will bring together several key teams and programs to maximize safety and strengthen community partnerships. This division will continue overseeing established community programs such as the Citizens Police Academy, Junior Police Academy, Immersion Academy, and Special Events. 

School Resource Officers and the Traffic Safety Unit will also work together on improving safety around schools. Together, these teams will increase traffic enforcement in school zones, develop new traffic-safety education programs for young people, and work more closely with schools and communities to address traffic concerns.

APD is committed to maintaining and expanding its partnerships with Asheville residents, businesses, schools, neighborhood organizations, and community groups. These changes are intended to broaden its community policing efforts and strengthen connections with residents across Asheville.