Crime declined in 2021, but juvenile violence remains a focus this year, CMPD chief says
While homicides and violence declined overall last year in the Charlotte area, guns continued to get into the hands of “far too many” teenagers, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said Monday.
“That should be something that’s unacceptable, not just from a law enforcement perspective, but from a society perspective,” Jennings said during a virtual news conference.
Juvenile crime will be an area of focus for CMPD in 2022, with police looking to seize firearms, educate youth and talk to parents, Jennings said.
Gun seizures were up 33% in 2021 when compared to 2020, which translates to 2,999 illegal firearms being “taken off the streets,” he said.
“I mean even as young as 12 to 13 years old, they have access to firearms,” Jennings said. “The privilege of carrying a firearm is not something that should be put in the hands of a teenager.”
School can provide needed structure to children after being remote for so long during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that Jennings said provided youth with too much time on their hands.
“When you see a 13-, 14- or 15-year-old out on the street corner at 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning, that just doesn’t make sense to me,” he said. “As we start to open back up, and the kids are back in school, I think that provides some structure and scheduling for our young people today.”
Schools reopened in August, and 23 guns have been found so far on Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools campuses, the Observer previously reported.
City, schools partner to curb violence
In December, Superintendent Earnest Winston met with Jennings and other high-ranking city and county officials to discuss ways to prevent guns from getting in the hands of students. When a gun went off at West Charlotte High School weeks later, Jennings and Winston spoke at a joint news conference to address firearms in schools.
Following this incident, Crime Stoppers increased the reward from $250 to $500 for reporting a firearm on campus leading to an arrest or weapon seizure.
The partnership between CMS and CMPD is “off to a good start,” Jennings said.
“I think that’s going to make huge progress in how we are able to not only identify juveniles that we can provide opportunities for, but to also make sure they have long-term success in society,” Jennings said.
Crime Stoppers hasn’t paid anyone for reporting guns on a CMS campus yet, but it remains too early to determine if the reward increase will yield positive results, Jennings said during a city council meeting Monday.
CMPD also offers over 25 programs that specifically engages with juveniles and aims at getting them on the right path in life, Jennings said. CMPD’s youth diversion program is one option for juveniles that allows them to attend an 8-hour life skills class or teen court to avoid prosecution in the court system.
Crimes, homicides decline
Charlotte reported less homicides in 2021 than in 2020, a year that almost saw a record number of homicides.
There were 98 homicides last year, compared to 121 in 2020, according to CMPD data. The decline in killings translated to a 5% decrease in overall crime, and a 7% drop in violent crime.
Here is other crime data from 2021:
▪ Total arrests are down 4%. There were 13,792 total arrests made, compared to 14,402 in 2020. Of those, 2,914 arrests were for violent crimes.
▪ Aggravated assaults went down 3%.
▪ Rapes are up 19% (313 reported, compared to 264 in 2020).
▪ Robberies declined 22%.
▪ Property crime decreased 4% (30,185 reported, compared to 31,585 in 2020).
▪ Vehicle thefts increased 5% (2,983 reported, compared to 2,852 in 2020).
▪ Vehicle break-ins are up 4% (10,439 reported, compared to 10,044 in 2020).
▪ Residential burglaries are down 13%.
▪ Commercial burglaries dropped 20%.
▪ Arsons declined 18%.
▪ Crime Stoppers saw a 3% increase in tips (3,341 overall), which helped clear 298 cases.
▪ Documented police interactions up 4% from 2020, meaning there have been 534,000 times an officer has made contact with a citizen.
This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 7:16 PM.
