SBI Data Show Rutherford County Crime Below 2022 Levels as Sheriff Seeks Reelection

New data from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) show overall crime reported to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office remains lower than when Sheriff Aaron Ellenburg took office in 2022, despite year-to-year fluctuations.

According to SBI crime statistics from 2018 through 2024, the Sheriff’s Office reported 608 index crimes in 2022, when Ellenburg took office. That number dropped sharply to 415 in 2023 before rising to 508 in 2024 — still below 2022 levels.

Index crimes include the most serious offenses tracked statewide, such as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. Drug offenses are not included in index crime totals under SBI reporting rules.

In a statement posted to his reelection campaign’s social media page, Ellenburg said the data shows progress.

“When you look at and properly interpret the Crime Index data, it reflects improvement,” Ellenburg said, pointing to proactive enforcement and cooperation between the Sheriff’s Office, city police departments, and community partners.

Violent crime continues to make up a relatively small portion of reported offenses handled by the Sheriff’s Office. SBI data show one murder reported in 2022, none in 2023, and two in 2024. Reported rapes remained relatively stable over the three years, while robberies remained rare, dropping to just one case in 2024.

Aggravated assaults showed the most noticeable change. The Sheriff’s office reported 97 aggravated assaults in 2022. That number dropped to 46 in 2023 and rose to 59 in 2024, remaining well below 2022 levels.

Property crime accounts for the majority of reported incidents. Larceny, or theft, was the most common crime each year. Burglaries fell sharply from 2022 to 2023, then increased slightly in 2024. Motor vehicle theft increased to 43 cases in 2024, reflecting a trend seen across much of North Carolina.

Looking at the broader picture countywide, SBI data show total index crimes reported by all law enforcement agencies in Rutherford County declined from 1,748 in 2018 to 1,072 in 2024.

Ellenburg also noted that drug arrests and seizures are not reflected in the Crime Index because they are considered enforcement-driven rather than victim-reported. He said excluding drug crimes prevents agencies that aggressively target narcotics from appearing to have higher crime rates on paper.

The SBI is expected to release finalized crime statistics for 2025 later this year.