Crime in Charlotte

[browngeo]

I saw on the news yesterday that thieves stole 7K in Copper from a Habitat for Humanity main office in No-Da. Man that is just plain sad. Watchful eyes are needed more than ever including improved street lighting and police patrols.

I moved her from Chicago but have lived in Denver, Chicago, and San Fran and I just feel like there is not a big police presense here. I know more police wouldn't solve the root issue but sure would make me comfortable in some areas of town.

[Justadude]

There's a big article in the O' today about the city trying to buy and demolish "problem" groceries in troubled neighborhoods. Personally I think this is about the worst possible approach to reducing crime in low-income neighborhoods, but I'm curious what others here think.

My take is that:

a) Grocery stores don't generate crime, criminals do. Unless these stores are somehow involved in corruption or other illegal activity, they are no different from corner stores in any other neighborhood. The problems are being caused by the unsavory elements which beseige these stores with loitering and public intoxication. The "solution" is misdirected if it targets local businesses and not local criminals.

b) Corner stores are a vital part of any city's urban fabric, and are particularly important in low-income neighborhoods where many residents' ability to drive is limited. Forcefully tearing out local groceries from these neighborhoods will further damage the quality of life for everyone involved, which is the last thing they need.

c) While criminals are concentrated around these stores, they can be managed. Additional police patrols, better lighting, etc can at least keep them under control, if not deter them entirely. But when the store is gone, they will scatter all over their neighborhoods, mostly into residential areas. That makes them much more dangerous and 10 times harder for the police to control.

There are other, more effective, options for CMPD in tackling this problem. Perhaps they could buy out the stores' liquor licenses and have them concentrate only on grocery sales (this could not be more expensive than buying the store just to demolish it). Perhaps they could find a way to monitor the area around the stores more carefully -- there are stores all over Charlotte with an officer on duty most of the time, so why not at these locations as well? Anything seems better than the '50s-style solution being presented here.

[voyager12]

I think it's a bad idea as well. As the article stated many of the elderly residents of Belmont lack transportation and rely on the corner stores for survival and basic needs. Not every store is a problem and while the owners can post "No Loitering" signs all over the wall they can't be the police and force the kids to hang out somewhere else. That's what the police are supposed to do! Knocking down needed convenience stores solves nothing and deprives innocent people. Punish the people and not the buildings.

[redjeep77]

http://www.charlotte.com/112/story/70713.html

This really sad news. The first time officers have been killed in the line of duty since '93. Seeing where the crime occured, this doesn't look good for east charlotte's image either.

[monsoon]

I remember when those particular apartments were fairly upscale and I used to live just down the road in Milton Rd. apts. It's been an amazing fall of an area.

It's a sad day when two police officers get gunned down while trying to protect the public from people who have little regard for anyone else.

[monsoon]

DEMEATRIUS ANTONIO MONTGOMERY has been accused of gunning down the two officers and has been charged with double felony murder. Demeatrius has been in trouble with law enforcement since he was a teenager. He has two children that are being raised somewhere outside NC by their mother.

[lukedog]

This has been a bad few days. First the two police officers were killed...then last night two officers were shot at and then returned fire hitting some gang members outside a club off Independence. Also last night, a woman was stabbed off Allen St. in Belmont...not sure if she died or not.

I'm not sure what statistics say but it wouldn't surprise me if crime goes up when the weather gets warmer...more people hang out and they hang out later. Regardless...the trend of this past weekend won't help Charlotte get out of the top 10 cities with the "most crime".

[voyager12]

I know this should be filed under not important but I just looked out on my front porch and saw that someone stole almost all my flowers overnight They only left one geranium! I am mad

[charlotte_uncc]

This has been a bad few days. First the two police officers were killed...then last night two officers were shot at and then returned fire hitting some gang members outside a club off Independence. Also last night, a woman was stabbed off Allen St. in Belmont...not sure if she died or not.

[brokenraven]

This bothers me. I've thought about moving to Charlotte because I've heard about how nice of a place it is. Now I'm afraid I'm going to be accosted by someone with a gun if I so much as step foot inside city lines.

[Raintree21]

This bothers me. I've thought about moving to Charlotte because I've heard about how nice of a place it is. Now I'm afraid I'm going to be accosted by someone with a gun if I so much as step foot inside city lines.

[nmcheese]

This bothers me. I've thought about moving to Charlotte because I've heard about how nice of a place it is. Now I'm afraid I'm going to be accosted by someone with a gun if I so much as step foot inside city lines.

[brokenraven]

Thanks, that's nice to know.

[Raintree21]

CMPD is hosting a forum on how to improve the safety of Charlotte on Tuesday. They will be meeting at the Police-Fire Training Academy on Shopton Road from 6:30-8:30pm. They are hoping to mesh together the input they have gained from the smaller subforums they've hosted throughout the city. So far the main themes they've come up with are: Police Visibility, Youth Crime, Rental Housing, Speeding in Neighborhoods, Police Response, and Neighborhood Watch programs.

[nowensone]

^It's not exactly theirs to control, but what is CMPD's stance on the [aguably] worst problem - recidivism?

[Raintree21]

^It's not exactly theirs to control, but what is CMPD's stance on the [aguably] worst problem - recidivism?

[kmccloud]

Lobbying the state to give us more DA's, judges, and jail space so the repeat offenders are not given a slap on the wrist and set free to wreak havoc on the law abiding citizenry. I think it was something like only 10% of the criminals in the system actually went to trial. I may be way off on the percentage but it was a totally UNACCEPTABLE number. The DA's office is so backed up that they will make a deal in a heartbeat with a criminal if it means they won't get tied up in court.

[nowensone]

^ There may be truth to what you are saying, but it is not really relevant to the issue of releasing repeat offenders, of which there are some ridiculous examples already noted in this thread, knowing they are going to commit crimes again, some of which are violent in nature. Until we have solved the societal problems, I will happily spend more of my own tax dollars to get repeat offenders off the streets, improving our society is not going to change those who are already career criminals.

[kmccloud]

but how much of the 'crime' in this country is nothing more than petty offenses, mainly drugs? you can't just act like there are serial killers being let go every other day, prowling the streets in search of innocent victims to terrorize, because that's simply not the case. i read this post and it's almost like innocent people, just minding their business, are being shot at every day in front of their house. what nonsense. and to read about how dangerously scary the uncc campus is at night? HUH? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

[atlrvr]

It's hard to improve the educationaly system and societal ills when the is no consequence for breaking the laws. It appears you trivialize drug dealing, but when it pays good money, and the only consequence is a slap on the wrist, then it promotes a criminal lifestyle.

I DO think that more money should be spent in education, and more money should be spent in government sponsered jobs/training, BUT I also think that those efforts will ultimately failed without a serious crackdown on crime at all levels. Petty crime shouldn't be given a free pass, people should be held accountable for their actions. No one can claim ignorance that stealing or drug dealing is a crime, and the consequence is jail time.

I firmly believe that a few bad apples spoils the whole bunch, and if we allow the problem to fester, then all the money thrown at social programs can never be fully leveraged.

[monsoon]

.......

you sit at home in your little suburban house, watch fox news all day, get scared, look at a few numbers, a few statistics, think you have it all figured out, and then start screaming about more police and prosecutors to keep you feeling nice & safe. if you really have a concern about crime, you need to start being concerned about the educational system and the economic situation. all you're doing is fueling the 'police states of america' where everyone is in the system and now REALLY doesn't have any other opportunities in life. get real.

[nowensone]

but how much of the 'crime' in this country is nothing more than petty offenses, mainly drugs? you can't just act like there are serial killers being let go every other day, prowling the streets in search of innocent victims to terrorize, because that's simply not the case. i read this post and it's almost like innocent people, just minding their business, are being shot at every day in front of their house. what nonsense. and to read about how dangerously scary the uncc campus is at night? HUH? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

[kmccloud]

Depends on one's definition of petty crimes. I am all for legalizing marijuana and spending our resources elsewhere that we dedicate to it, but as far as recidivism in CLT, I am referring to those who have been let go/slapped on the wrist multiple times for things like theft, assault, hard-core drug dealing and drunk driving, and of course homicide. As alluded to by the bad apple reference above, I think they are influencing others in addition to the danger they already pose to society, let's get them off the streets for both reasons. Educational and economic reform are certainly necessary and long overdue, but aren't effective means to tackle our immediate issues. They won't save the life that will be lost tomorrow, for example.

[Raintree21]

"UNACCEPTABLE" huh?

you obviously don't have a clue about how the criminal justice system actually works. UNACCEPTABLE number of trails? everything is handled through plea bargaining. they stack up enough charges until the defendant (who probably can't afford to properly defend him/herself) gets worried enough that they just plead guilty to whatever is being offered to them. this is how it works. it would actually be better for the defendants if they could all have a fair trail, like it should be, but at the rate we arrest people in this country there could never be enough resources to have that many trails, which would work to solve the problem of police being so quick to arrest certain people.

you sit at home in your little suburban house, watch fox news all day, get scared, look at a few numbers, a few statistics, think you have it all figured out, and then start screaming about more police and prosecutors to keep you feeling nice & safe. if you really have a concern about crime, you need to start being concerned about the educational system and the economic situation. all you're doing is fueling the 'police states of america' where everyone is in the system and now REALLY doesn't have any other opportunities in life. get real.

[nowensone]

i agree with you completely, except i don't understand how you can tackle immediate issues with any other methods. for example, about the life lost tomorrow, if someone has a personal problem with someone and decides they are going to kill that person first thing in the morning, what can you do to prevent that? there's nothing you can do. what's important for me or you is to make sure we don't create situations for ourselves where someone wants to kill us. random murders just don't happen very often, we should worry more about driving on I85 than someone we don't even know coming along and shooting at us. i think many people want this feeling of safety that's just impossible to reach. and considering that the politics of our country are almost entirely based on fear mongering, it -scares me- to see people taking the bait and begging for the police state.