Charlotte homicides are on the rise, CMPD says, amid concern over busy summer months
There have been 45 homicides so far this year, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said, compared to 35 killings at this same point a year ago.
CMPD anticipates an increase in homicides during the summer months because that is what has happened in previous years. But the department remains “cautiously optimistic” that each year will be better than the last, police Lt. Bryan Crum told the Observer.
“The summertime really will kind of tell where we’re headed,” he said.
Comparing the homicide counts to last year is “kind of hard” because the COVID-19 pandemic played a factor in peoples’ willingness to go outside and gather, Crum said. “I don’t think anybody really knows what to expect,” he said.
People will have the opportunity to run into one another more compared to last year, so there’s “obviously more opportunity for there to be friction between people,” Crum said.
While the number of homicides has increased, Crum said the public should take into account that some cases under review may end up being justified. He said he doesn’t have a clear reason for the increase, but believes minor arguments becoming deadly is a driving factor.
Suspects becoming younger
Homicide suspects are becoming younger, which Crum said is a continued trend. He said CMPD has already charged more young people in 2021 than in prior years.
This year CMPD has charged 25 people ages 13 to 24 for murder, compared to 18 a year ago, Crum said.
“Typically that age range is the 18- to 35-year-old demographic, and we’re seeing a shift more towards the mid-teens (or) 15-to-24 age range,” he said. “I think that’s concerning.”
Police are seeing minor disagreements escalate to violence, which Crum said has to do with “youthful decision-making.”
“The way that we make decisions as a young teen, or even in our late teens, is very different than as an adult. I think it’s a lot of that impulsiveness,” he said. “Things that may have been resolved with neighborhood fistfights have escalated to guns.”
When shootings involving younger suspects happen, Crum said a lot of them don’t even remember why they got into a disagreement.
The ages of homicide victims are roughly on par with what CMPD has seen in past years, which is in the 18- to 34-year-old age range, Crum said.
Trying to prevent violence
CMPD is working with the city of Charlotte and community members on violence interruption and finding new solutions to impact homicide numbers, Crum said.
“I think anybody who’s got a good idea, it’s worth trying,” he said.
Last week, the city unveiled the name for its violence interruption program. The Alternatives to Violence program will hire and train community members from violence-stricken neighborhoods to try to stop violent acts before they happen and prevent recurrences.
“If somebody comes to us, to the city, or into the communities, the police department’s certainly going to be supportive,” Crum said.
Although the city will hire violence interrupters, Crum said it’s important for everyone to interrupt violence, especially if it involves a friend or family member.
Reaching youths is another objective for CMPD, and Crum said the reopening of the department’s Youth Envision Academy could be a step in the right direction.
The Youth Envision Academy is an eight-week summer program that offers paid internships to troubled youths age 15 to 18 so they can get to know their community and participate in group activities like kayaking.
“Any program that really provides the youth with some hope, and allows them to see the kinds of things they maybe weren’t normally exposed to, are really beneficial,” Crum said. “It’s really important that we reach those kids at a young age and try to help them find a different direction with their life.”
