On-duty officers covering Panthers games isn’t hindering Charlotte, police say

Carolina Panthers games and other major events, like concerts, at Bank of America Stadium have long been a source of extra money for off-duty officers.

However, in a recent WCNC report, the local police union suggested that fewer off-duty Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers are stepping up to staff the events, meaning on-duty officers are being used at games and consequently creating a safety issue for the public.

CMPD employs about 1,800 sworn officers, and it’s the primary provider for security and traffic at Panthers home games and large-scale events.

Police Chief Johnny Jennings says the department, the Panthers and city staff have been working to find a resolution to make sure home games are covered without compromising police staffing and resources.

“This is really important to me,” Jennings said in a YouTube video posted last month. “In order for us to do this we have to make some changes. There will be some changes made, but it doesn’t happen overnight.”

CMPD response times

Three of CMPD’s 13 patrol divisions were understaffed during the Panthers’ first home preseason game on Aug. 21, according to news report from WCNC last month. CMPD reassigned 54 on-duty officers to the stadium, according to the report.

Using on-duty officers at Panthers games hampers the department’s ability to serve the needs of Charlotte residents, according to the local police union.

“Our question is, why should sporting events be a higher priority than protecting our communities?’” Yolian Ortiz, public information officer for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 9, told the Observer.

However, CMPD data show “there was no service impact involving delayed response times for emergency calls for service,” Officer Thomas Hildebrand, a department spokesman, told the Observer.

CMPD prioritizes calls received into three categories, and response times are based upon the severity of the incidents or crimes being reported:.

▪ Priority 1: Life-threatening situations and crimes in progress, including armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon with serious injury, vehicle accident with injury and shootings;

▪ Priority 2: Typical calls include felony property crimes, shooting into occupied dwelling with no injury;

▪ Priority 3: Non-life-threatening situations including stolen vehicles, shoplifting, welfare check, domestic assault with no or minor Injury, vehicle accident with property damage only.

Average response times throughout the city during CMPD’s 2 p.m.-midnight shift from Aug. 7 to Sep. 19 vary little between football gamedays and non-gamedays, according to department data. There’s about a 20-second difference during high-level priority calls, a 40-second difference during mid-level calls and a half-minute difference during low-level calls.

Times in minutes. Football gamedays in bold; *Clemson-Georgia game

However, roll-call data CMPD officers shared with the union shows three divisions were below minimum staffing requirements during the Panthers’ season opener on Sept. 12, Ortiz said. The Providence, Freedom and Steele Creek divisions did not meet the eight to nine officers required per shift, she said.

CMPD declined to say how many officers are needed at Panthers games and major stadium events, citing security issues.

When asked about CMPD’s role on gamedays, a Panthers spokesman declined to comment and referred questions to the department.

Off-duty pay

Working Panthers home games had a certain allure for many off-duty police and firefighters after the team started playing in Charlotte in 1996, Ortiz said.

That allure has faded in recent years because of pay, she said.

Entry-level pay begins at $51,087 for a CMPD officer with a four-year bachelor’s degree, police Capt. Gene Lim said during a Sept. 29 news conference. Officers can make up to $87,377 depending on time of tenure and education levels, he said.

To add to their income, officers pick up secondary jobs.

CMPD’s Office of Secondary Employment sets minimum rates for hiring off-duty officers.

A 2018 report by WSOC found the Panthers paid just above the $34-$54 per hour range set by CMPD — one of the lowest in the NFL at the time.

Now, CMPD requires businesses to pay minimum hourly rates of $42-$60 for off-duty officers, depending on rank. The Charlotte Fire Department requires a minimum $38 per hour for special events, and at least $50 per hour for holidays.

“Many other businesses have to pay nearly double the price to get the same protection while receiving zero special treatment,” the FOP’s Ortiz said. “Bank of America (Stadium) can hire another security company to cover their events and that alone would alleviate the problem but increase their budget.”

A Panthers spokesman declined to comment on what the team now pays for off-duty officers.

Firefighters stressed, fatigued

The Charlotte Fire Department also has kept a presence at the stadium for major events, but on-duty firefighters were surprised when they were asked to work Panthers games, a firefighter union official said.

The department and the Panthers could have scheduled overtime for on-duty firefighters who have to work home games, Tom Brewer, president of the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of NC, told the Observer.

“We were just never given the option this year,” he said. “... We were never given a reason why.... It just came up where they asked for companies to volunteer to go down there on-duty.”

The department will “utilize personnel on overtime” to cover special events — like Panthers games — when staffing is low, fire Capt. Jackie Gilmore told the Observer.

The fire department tries to keep four firefighters on each company, or crew, and 268 personnel on-duty throughout the city, Gilmore said.

However, COVID-positive personnel, quarantines, stress and fatigue have hit the department’s staffing levels, he said.

“There will be times when we must utilize on-duty companies to ensure public safety at these events and still maintain safe and effective coverage throughout the city,” Gilmore said.

In his CMPD video, Jennings said police, fire and city officials — among others — are working to ensure each department is taking care of citizens and “those trying to enjoy an event.”

The issues raised about police and special events are not new to him, Jennings said. But the current circumstances do allow him to understand how difficult it is for officers to balance work and life.

“We have an obligation to ensure that we keep our community and visitors safe,” he said. “That’s what our mission is, so we will continue to do that.”

Jonathan Limehouse

The Charlotte Observer

(704) 218-9278

Jonathan Limehouse is a breaking news reporter and covers all major happenings in the Charlotte area. He has covered a litany of other beats from public safety, education, public health and sports. He is a proud UNC Charlotte graduate and a Raleigh native.