Although violent crime in Durham is down slightly from a year ago, it's still higher than the three-year average as calculated by the Durham Police Department. Interim Police Chief Shari Montgomery presented the latest crime statistics to Durham City Council members on Thursday, showing homicides, rapes and aggravated assaults are up through the first six months of 2021 when compared with the three-year average. Although Mayor Steve Schewel told WRAL News on Wednesday that police officers got large raises and bonuses this year as part of Durham's 2021-22 city budget, he supported Montgomery's call on Thursday for even higher salaries.