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Raleigh police arrested 35 people on drug-related charges and closed a pedestrian tunnel near Moore Square last week, actions Mayor Janet Cowell said should help disrupt the flow of illegal drugs downtown and improve safety.
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While the actions to address crime in one of downtown’s more visible districts have been welcomed, Cowell and others in the city say there’s still more to be done.
The results of the police operation that resulted in the arrests were announced Wednesday. The Raleigh Police Department coordinated with the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division to investigate illegal alcohol and drug activity around the square.
The investigation involved undercover agents purchasing drugs.
“In one instance, a juvenile suspect sold crack cocaine to an undercover agent in a public park restroom while EMS was responding to an overdose call just feet away, all while children and their parents unknowingly played,” the Wednesday news release stated.
Police seized alcohol, fentanyl and crack cocaine, the news release stated.
And police also found a drug supply network, tracing manufacturing back to a home in Zebulon, according to the release.
The investigation followed concerns raised by businesses in the area, it stated.
While more arrests are expected, police are already alleging over 130 felony charges for things like selling drugs.
“Our message is straightforward: Those who choose to use public spaces to engage in criminal activity will be investigated, and appropriate enforcement action will be taken through the criminal justice system,” Raleigh Police Lt. David Davis told The News & Observer on Friday.
“The goal is not simply to make arrests. It is to reduce crime, improve the safety of public spaces, and ensure residents, businesses and visitors feel safe in downtown Raleigh every day,” Davis said.
Bill King, president and CEO of the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, said he appreciates the city’s actions but hopes more will be done.
“The Moore Square district needs additional support and attention to make it a more comfortable and attractive experience, so we support the work of Raleigh Police and ALE in enforcing laws around drug dealing in this area, as a part of that effort,” he wrote in an email to The N&O on Friday. “And [we] appreciate the City being willing to try new ideas for changing the flow of activity in and around the Transit Center, but we hope that is not all that will be done to address safety at the Transit Center. “
The conditions in the area affect all of downtown Raleigh’s reputation, he said.
The city announced the impending closure of a pedestrian tunnel connecting the Moore Square bus station with Wilmington Street earlier last week.
The timing of the police operation and tunnel closure announcement are coincidental, Davis said.
But Cowell said the tunnel closure helps safety in the area and will “disrupt some of the east-west drug trafficking coming from Moore square and the transit area to Fayetteville Street.”
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Cowell said she didn’t know the police operation was happening, but she commended the Raleigh Police Department on its efforts.
She acknowledged that police have arrested people in the area before, and safety concerns have persisted.
However, she pointed out the difference in this operation, the largest during her time as mayor, she said.
“If the chess game is collecting data so we get the higher ups, then it’s all worth waiting for,” she said.
Moore Square has been a continual problem, for the city, Cowell acknowledged.
“I’ve had conversations with so many people downtown,” she said. “We are working on this every single day.”
But it involves more than just arresting people. She said the city needs to cooperate more with Wake County, for example, on addressing the population of unhoused people who frequent the park.
She said the city continues to push for new affordable housing in the area.
King said the city needs to keep investing in the area.
“And on the additive side, we need additional investment in the park and surrounding area that better capitalizes on the 500,000+ visitors to Marbles Kids Museum and IMAX theater,” he wrote. “Between Marbles and the free parking in nearby decks, we have an opportunity to also invest in new elements to this area, in addition to enforcement of laws and helping those in need.”
He said the city could better connect Moore Square to nearby museums and even Dix Park to create a “very compelling experience for families visiting this area.”
The public feedback on recent action on Moore Square has been positive, Cowell said.
C Ellis, a resident who recently to Raleigh moved from Dallas, welcomed the news of the police operations around the square.
He said he has seen a lot of children playing at the park, so he’s glad that police are working to make it safer.
He said he’s had car trouble recently and has had to use Raleigh bus system. That involves going to the bus station at the square.
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“It’s really nice over here,” he said, sitting on a bench in Moore Square.
Ellis said he feels safer sitting on the bench than staying at the bus station.
This story was originally published August 24, 2026 at 10:06 AM.