Asheville police urge detailed tips as Buncombe overdose deaths rise

Asheville police said the tips that move drug cases forward are the ones that give investigators something concrete to check: an exact address, the time suspicious activity happened, descriptions of people or vehicles, and a clear account of what was seen. Capt. Joe Silberman said the Asheville Police Department has limited officers and detectives, so vague complaints do not get the same response as a detailed report.

That advice landed with added urgency in Buncombe County, which ranks fifth in North Carolina for fentanyl-positive deaths. The ranking is based on North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner data covering April 2025 through March 2026, with the figures updated in June 2026. In a county still confronting a heavy overdose burden, the difference between a general complaint and a usable tip can determine which blocks, houses or vehicles get attention first.

Silberman’s message drew a hard line between information that can be acted on and complaints that cannot. A report that someone smelled marijuana somewhere in a neighborhood, standing alone, is unlikely to move an investigation forward. A tip that pins down where the activity happened, when it happened and who or what was involved gives detectives a starting point they can test against other complaints, patrol observations and overdose-risk concerns.

The overlap between neighborhood drug activity, trafficking concerns and overdose deaths gives those details practical weight in Asheville and across Buncombe County. Police said community reports can help them sort a minor nuisance from a location tied to repeated drug activity, and that better information lets the department focus limited resources on the hottest spots. In a county where fentanyl deaths remain among the highest in the state, that kind of triage can shape whether police get to a scene early enough to disrupt trafficking or intervene before another fatal overdose.