ASHEVILLE - City police are inching closer to launching a program that would free up officers from responding to fender benders by hiring civilians to investigate minor car crashes.

The Asheville Police Department hopes to have the civilian team respond to collisions by the start of 2027, now-Interim Chief Jackie Stepp told a City Council subcommittee on Nov. 20. In the meantime, city police are creating a budget proposal to seek approval in the next funding cycle.

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