Crime down, arrests up in Charlotte in first three months of 2025, CMPD says
Crime is down and arrests are up in the first three months of the year, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police said at a news conference Thursday.
The department gave an overview of crime rates between Jan. 1 and March 31, comparing them to rates from the same time period in 2024, at its first-quarter public safety briefing.
Overall, according to CMPD data, crime has fallen 6% citywide.
“One challenge we face each day is not an offender or a crime trend,” said Deputy Chief David Robinson. “In fact, it’s the perception that Charlotte is an unsafe city. We take issue with that.”
Violent crimes, which include homicides and shootings, Robinson said, have dropped 17%; property crimes have dropped 4%.
There were also 20 homicides the first three months of the year, down from 32 compared to the same time in 2024. CMPD reported 22 homicides in news releases during that time frame.
Arrests were up 10% as well, Robinson said. There were 4,149 arrests the first three months of 2025, up from 3,785 in the same time frame in 2024.
Commercial burglaries were up the first three months of the year, but a significant part of that is because of repeat offenders, Robinson said.
“We believe a state law aimed at habitual larceny offenders will reduce the numbers over time,” Robinson said. “So if I continue to steal from a Walgreens, and we continue to see you in court, judges can ban you from that Walgreens. And then if you go back to that Walgreens, that counts as a commercial burglary because you weren’t supposed to be there in the first place.”
Auto thefts, including Kia and Hyundai auto thefts driven by a social media trend, have also fallen.
There were 1,530 total auto thefts between January and March, a 21% drop from 2024, which saw 1,939. Kia and Hyundai thefts fell from 1,364 in 2024, to 761 in 2025, a 44% drop.
There have also been drops in aggravated assaults, rapes and armed robberies, according to CMPD’s data.
The department also reported that 1,064 cameras have registered as part of the Connect Charlotte program. The program allows people and businesses to give police permission to know whether a camera is registered near an area where a crime takes place. CMPD needs permission to access a registered camera, the Connect Charlotte program website said.
There have been 878 cameras that have integrated with CMPD as well. The program’s website said integrating cameras is mainly meant for businesses and allows CMPD to directly access camera feeds.
Asked about a drone program Chief Johnny Jennings announced at the crime briefing for 2024 in January, Robinson said it was “a work in progress.”
“You got to have a community that trusts you, and I think that that’s where we are now, is defining what the community wants,” he said. “The feedback we’ve gotten, the support that we’ve received from the community, both direct, anecdotal and financial, has been significant and we’ll continue to build that out and develop that as we move forward.”
There have also been increases in traffic stops and citations issued in “high-injury corridors.” Maj. Michael Ford said there have been 2,386 traffic stops, a 119% increase from last year, and 2,952 citations issued, a 111% increase.
Crashes with serious injuries have also fallen 20%, with 356 in the first three months of the year. The Civilian Crash Unit, which sends members of a 15-unit team in marked trucks to non-injury crashes, responded to 2,049 minor crashes and assisted over 3,000 calls for service.
“This unit has had a significant impact,” Ford said. “Not only has it allowed our sworn officers to remain available for higher-priority calls, but it’s also ensured that citizens involved in minor crashes receive timely, professional service.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
