HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — High Point police addressed concerns about the InTown Suites.
“By paying attention to those locations that have a higher need for our presence, we can be proactive and prevent that from becoming something larger or a critical incident or a homicide,” said Interim High Point Police Chief Curtis Cheeks Monday night.
He attended a meeting organized by the Oakview Citizens Council pertaining to crime concerns at the InTown Suites hotel located on North Main Street near Walmart.
A homicide in early January prompted neighbors to ask for more policing.
“One of the things we ask from any business in the city is to conduct business in a lawful way and partner with us to do that to where everyone is safe,” Cheeks said.
InTown Suites was labeled as one of five hotel hot spots for criminal activity in 2020 by then Police Chief Travis Stroud. Over the next two years, police were there almost 1,000 times.
“In those efforts, we visit those locations on a routine or regular basis,” Cheeks said.
We compared the same time period this year, Jan. 1 until Feb. 8, to last year in 2023.
56 calls for service were reported. Of those, 40 were initiated by the police themselves.
There have also been 56 calls for service from Jan. 1 to Feb. 8 of this year with 34 being initiated by police.
“There just seem to be an excess number of calls to that particular location, and it’s kind of alarming,” organizer Jim Bronnert sid.
Bronnert said getting the police and city in the same room with concerned neighbors was a step toward progress.
“When you see police lights on all the time, it’s not real comforting,” Bronnert said.
Cheeks wanted people to change their outlook and instead look at those lights as a source of comfort, knowing they are frequently patrolling.
“We find it best if those numbers reflect a lot of self-initiated activity,” Cheeks said.
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He also cautioned that rumors may not hold weight after an audience member asked about possible homicides behind the hotel.
The InTown Suites is also used as transitionary housing by the City of High Point for people experiencing homelessness.
The hotel passed city inspection on Jan. 17