Should Charlotte Move Police to Downtown

[monsoon]

WSOC TV is reporting the Charlotte Police has decided to move extra officers from outlying divisions into the downtown division to help deal with the issues that came to a head during the 4th of July riot. People in these outlying areas are angry the loss of police coverage will hurt their areas in favor of downtown. So the question is - Should Charlotte move Police from the other divisions to make Downtown safer?

[dubone]

NO!?! who the hell is voting no. i thought the consensus of all these other threads has been that cmpd isn't doing enough to control growth of crime in downtown.

I don't personally believe we have a problem as of yet, as i live downtown and feel very safe... but what is the deal... what is the rational behind a 'no' vote here?

[Sabaidee]

Someone living in suburbia maybe? People who live in the unincorporated areas of Mecklenburg pay a higher property tax than the rest of the county which pays for their policing. With the new arena opening in the next couple of months, police will be greatly needed with the games, concerts, and basketball tournaments.

[monsoon]

Someone living in suburbia maybe? People who live in the unincorporated areas of Mecklenburg pay a higher property tax than the rest of the county which pays for their policing. With the new arena opening in the next couple of months, police will be greatly needed with the games, concerts, and basketball tournaments.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From the news report of the people complaining it was areas like Wilmore, Eastland Mall, etc that were losing the cops. I don't think it is an issue in unincorporated Mecklenburg, and most of the towns have their own Police forces.

[Raintree21]

They shouldn't have to pull officers from the suburbs. They should have and if not, hire more officers so that they can cover all areas. CMPD should have the city council by the balls right now with this uproar about safety and should be able to get whatever they want in the way of funding for more officers. The 05-06 budget has already passed but the city has contingency funds.

Also, if they take a no nonsense approach to the problem and take care of things immediately instead of letting them fester, things will calm back down.

[krazeeboi]

Well, I can definitely say that their presence was felt Uptown last night.

[citywide_clt]

CMPD should have the city council by the balls right now with this uproar about safety and should be able to get whatever they want in the way of funding for more officers. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Many people blame Chief Darrel Stephens for the current mess, citing the fact that he is a bureaucrat and is aligned more with the council and pleasing them than with his officers.

[cosmoboy]

Many people blame Chief Darrel Stephens for the current mess, citing the fact that he is a bureaucrat and is aligned more with the council and pleasing them than with his officers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey why don't we get Gererald Hege in here from Davidson County, im sure he can take care of it and then rip you guys off!

[Raintree21]

Police increase forces uptown

The police presence downtown about tripled this weekend along with the number of tickets given out about quadrupled. But like I said before, they're already talking about when levels will go back to normal staffing.

Twenty-four extra officers will work Fridays through Sundays until the end of August or longer, concentrating on Church, Tryon and College streets, said Sgt. Ozzie Holshouser. Their main focus is deterring cruising, he added. Prior to that, about 15 officers worked there on weekends.

[krazeeboi]

I'm glad there was at least an attempted sense of balance given on the part of the Observer:

Police are controlling traffic to avoid a repeat of the July 4th incident, Holshouser said.

After the fireworks display ended that night, police said traffic backed up and a group of people grew disorderly near Trade and Tryon streets. People threw fireworks into the crowd and blocked traffic, authorities said. One person was shot in the hand, 20 were arrested and more than 100 extra officers were called in.

A couple of weeks later, a man tried to abduct a 7-year-old girl from an uptown hotel, sparking debate about what police are doing to keep Charlotte safe. But Chief Darryl Stephens has said the incidents are not a reflection of what happens every day in Charlotte.

[dubone]

the police are primarily doing two things:

- convincing the city's troublemakers that they are not going to put up with disruptions in downtown, by cracking down long enough for them to go back to their own neighborhoods.

- trying to survive for another few weeks until school gets back in, and the city goes back to relying on teachers to keep them in line.

[Seeker]

Anyone catch Chief Stephens at the City Council Meeting last night? He addressed some of the problems with uptown. Some of the highlights:

1- Perception vs. Reality- problems are not as big as some think

2- Gangs- There are approx. 70 known gangs in Charlotte, but some teens just choose to dress a certain way

3-Cruising- They hope by changing the traffic light patterns that will lesson the problem.

4-Lighting- he noticed that some areas are not well lit. Too many dark alleys.

[krazeeboi]

Chief Stephens seems to be a pretty keen guy.

[HighRiseHillbilly]

They shouldn't have to pull officers from the suburbs.  They should have and if not, hire more officers so that they can cover all areas.  CMPD should have the city council by the balls right now with this uproar about safety and should be able to get whatever they want in the way of funding for more officers.  The 05-06 budget has already passed but the city has contingency funds.

Also, if they take a no nonsense approach to the problem and take care of things immediately instead of letting them fester, things will calm back down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Better than the way I would have said it.

[Raintree21]

Uptown will have its own police unit

A new unit, consisting of one sergeant and 10 officers, will be dedicated to the area on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The city also wants to add private surveillance cameras to its uptown network.

To cut down on cruising, the city has shifted the timing of Tryon Street traffic lights.

There will be no left turns onto Tryon Street from 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.

The Tryon Street trees, which have been cut back so that more of the light can get to the ground

[Raintree21]

Different aspects of the Central division I found on different pages of CMPD's site.

The Central Division comprises nearly 5.8 square miles of business and residential communities. This district is divided into three areas of response. The Center City Area (David 1-1) is approximately 60% business and 40% residential. The Gateway Area (David 1-2) is approximately 65% residential and 35% business. The South End (David 1-3), consisting of the Dilworth Community (residential), South Blvd. Corridor (business area) and Freedom Park Community (residential) is approximately 55% residential and 45% business.

In Central Division there are 71 sworn Officers, 9 Sergeants, Captain and 1 Investigative Technician. Within the District are officers who are assigned to Specialized Units: Street Crimes Unit, Bike Patrol and Community Coordinators.

The Street Crimes Unit is available to address problematic street crimes, such as drug dealing and prostitution, but also addresses other crimes in high crime density areas. The Central Division Street Crimes Unit (SCU) is made up of one sergeant and three officers. Three officers serve as primary team liaisons to patrol staff for each of the three response areas in Central Division (David 1) .

The Central Division (David 1) Foot Patrol consists of two full time officers. These officers primarily patrol the area around the Square (Center City). Their primary responsibility is the safety of our citizens in the Uptown area. Mainting high visibility enables these officers to prevent crime while assisting visitors in the Center City. Their duties include, security of the various banks, enforcing motor vehicle laws, responding to calls for service, and assisting with the numerous special events that take place uptown. Foot Patrol Officers must possess a vast knowledge of the uptown area. Due to the fact that they are not restricted by a car, these officers are able to provide a faster response to some of the events that occur in the Center City.

The Central Division (David 1) Bike Patrol consists of nine full time officers. The Bike Patrol's efforts are primarily directed at patrolling the center city area. Other areas covered by the bike Patrol are The Central Division (David 1) -2 (Gateway area) and the Central Division (David 1) -3 (South End and Dilworth).

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) embodies the concept that the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the incidence of crime, the fear of crime and to improve the quality of life. The underlying concept of CPTED is acceptance that crime only occurs when the opportunity exists to perform acts such as vandalism, theft, burglary and assault. Therefore, tactics such as effective lightning, visible security (such as bars or cameras) and effective signage reduce opportunity by increasing likelihood of being caught. It also increases the perception that the likelihood of being caught is greater, therefore acting as an effective deterrent. in Central Division (David 1) , seven officers are CPTED certified.