Asheville Police Open Second West Asheville Resource Center at Tanger Outlets

The Asheville Police Department now has a full-time presence at Tanger Outlets Asheville, where a new resource center at 800 Brevard Road, Suite 822, opened March 25 with consistent daily staffing — a contrast to the Haywood Road location that has long relied on officers stopping by when available.

Interim Chief Jackie Stepp, who addressed community concerns before the opening, was direct about the difference between the two sites. "Now, at 970 (Haywood Road), the way that works is you have to kind of just get lucky to see a police officer there. And if they're not there, you call and then one responds to that location. Tanger will have somebody staffed there," she said.

The new Suite 822 location is a purpose-built facility with a dedicated full-time staff member assigned to answer phones and take police reports. Residents can walk in to file reports, request copies of records, or receive assistance from department staff Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding city holidays.

The expansion followed Asheville City Council approval and came after constraints at the Haywood Road location prompted the department to seek additional space. Rumors circulated before the opening that APD planned to abandon 970 Haywood Road entirely. Stepp pushed back on that directly, confirming both locations will remain open. The Haywood Road Resource Center will continue operating as a neighborhood-based site, with officers stopping in throughout their shifts.

"The most important takeaway for the community is policing in West Asheville will not change. I think it will expand services," Stepp said.

Residents who cannot visit in person can report non-emergency incidents through APD's online Police-to-Citizen portal. The city notes that crash reports available through that portal may omit certain personal information, which federal law from 1994 and a North Carolina law from 1997 require the DMV to keep private. Full copies of police reports and crash reports are available at no cost. For non-emergency calls, APD's 24-hour line is (828) 252-1110. Anyone experiencing an emergency or witnessing a crime in progress should call 911.