Living Here Guide 2009
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Monday, Sep. 14, 2009

Stats show Charlotte's crime on the decline

By Christopher D. Kirkpatrick - ckirkpatrick@charlotteobserver.com
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported dramatically declining crime over the past year as the department reorganized under a new chief.

Is it safer in Charlotte than a year ago? Crime statistics say, yes.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police reported dramatically declining crime over the past year as the department reorganized under a new chief.

Police Chief Rodney Monroe, who took over in June 2008, credits the reported drop to his strategy of placing officers in areas where crime is happening each week.

He and his command staff meet weekly to pinpoint those areas and to decide where extra patrols should be deployed. Monroe said he has focused on property crimes, such as car break-ins, that weren't getting enough attention in the past.

Through July, the CMPD reported the number of serious crimes down 21 percent compared to the same six months last year. Property crime decreased 21 percent and violent crime decreased 23 percent over the same six months last year.

The CMPD also investigated 28 homicides compared to 46 over the same period last year – a 39 percent decrease.

The crime trend downward contrasts to more than a year ago when property crime was on the uptick and several high profile crimes had residents worried in some neighborhoods that had been generally crime-free in the past, such as Dilworth.

Residents who want to keep abreast of the latest crime news can sign up for newsletters and occasional e-mail blasts. The newsletters offer the latest on different crime patterns and tips about how to be safer.

To sign up, go to www.cmpd.org and click on the “Notify Me” link. Residents also can click on the “Patrol Divisions” link, select their division on the interactive map and sign up for that division's e-mail alerts.

New residents looking for a safe neighborhood can use the department's online “Crime Mapping” feature to see which streets or neighborhoods are experiencing different types of crime.

“They can put in prospective locations and do the homework,” said Heidi Kimbrell, an officer with the CMPD Crime Prevention Unit. “If they see a block number that comes up a lot … and they see it's breaking into houses, then they can kind of weigh their options.”

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