By Nicky Smith
July 5, 2025
As I write this, our community is reeling from yet another violent incident that has rocked downtown Greensboro. The sound of sirens and the sight of police tape have become far too familiar in our neighborhoods. But what troubles me most isn’t just the crime itself—it’s the complete failure of our current City Council to address the root causes of our public safety crisis.
The statistics paint a stark picture of a city in crisis. Greensboro started 2025 with four murders in just the first week, and by summer, we’ve already seen 13 homicides. This follows the heartbreaking loss of Officer Michael Horan, who was gunned down just before Christmas while simply doing his job.
But here’s what really should alarm every resident: Greensboro has one of the highest crime rates in America, with residents having a 1 in 21 chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime. Let that sink in. One in twenty-one of us will be touched by crime this year.
Our brave men and women in blue are stretched beyond their breaking point. The Greensboro Police Department is operating 90 officers short of its authorized strength, forcing officers to work mandatory overtime and miss precious time with their families. With nearly 120 vacancies, the department struggles to provide coverage for even basic city events.
What’s the City Council’s response? They’ve had to resort to hiring civilians to handle traffic accidents because we can’t keep actual police officers on the force. This isn’t innovative—it’s desperate.
Why are our officers leaving? The answer is simple: our current leadership has created an environment where good officers feel undervalued and unsupported. Burlington Police offers a starting salary of $55,000 compared to Greensboro’s $46,000. We’re literally watching our trained officers walk out the door to work for departments that appreciate their service.
In the private sector, when you want to attract and retain the best talent, you create an environment of support, competitive compensation, and clear advancement opportunities. The same principle applies to law enforcement, but our current City Council seems to have forgotten this basic truth.
Every empty patrol car represents a family that doesn’t feel safe walking to their car after dinner. Every unfilled position means longer response times when someone calls 911 in their darkest hour. Every officer who leaves for another department takes with them training, experience, and institutional knowledge that we’ve invested years developing.
The current City Council has had years to address these issues. Instead, they’ve presided over a steady decline in public safety while our citizens pay the price. They’ve shown more interest in pet projects than in the fundamental responsibility of keeping our community safe.
When I’m elected to City Council, I won’t just talk about supporting our police—I’ll take action. Just like successful businesses create environments that attract top talent, we need to create an environment that makes Greensboro a destination for the best law enforcement officers in the region.
This means competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, proper equipment, and—most importantly—the unwavering support of city leadership. It means treating our officers like the heroes they are, not like problems to be managed.
The residents of Greensboro deserve better than empty promises and excuses. They deserve a City Council that understands that public safety isn’t a political talking point—it’s the foundation upon which all other city services depend.
Every day we delay action, another family becomes a victim. Every day we fail to support our officers, we lose good people who could be protecting our neighborhoods. Every day our current leadership fails to act, our community becomes less safe.
The time for excuses has passed. The time for real leadership is now.
The people of Greensboro know the truth: our current City Council has failed us on public safety. On election day, we have the power to change that.
Nicky Smith brings decades of business experience to the challenge of making government work efficiently for the people of Greensboro.
If you believe in a future where Greensboro thrives through new housing, jobs, innovation, and accountability, please consider donating to Nicky’s campaign today. Even a $20 contribution can help us drive real change and keep our city moving forward.
