Republicans are pouncing on Charlotte’s light rail stabbing. How leaders should respond. | Opinion
A woman was fatally stabbed on the light rail in South End last week. She had moved to the U.S. from Ukraine to escape the war. She was just 23 years old, riding public transit at 9 p.m. on a Friday night. It could have been any of us.
It’s the kind of incident that merits a strong response from Charlotte leaders, especially at a time when fears about safety are already heightened. Adding to the urgency is the fact that tragedies like this also present a perception dilemma that extends beyond the city’s borders. For one, Republicans at the state and national level are eager to characterize Charlotte as a lawless, crime-infested city, touting it as further “proof” that Democrats are soft on crime. The North Carolina Republican Party was quick to levy those accusations on social media, writing “Democrats have shown over the past two weeks they don’t take violent crime seriously. It cost this young woman her life in our state’s largest city. UNACCEPTABLE.”
Using tragedies to further a partisan political narrative is tasteless. But in this political environment, it’s going to happen, especially with high-profile incidents that generate national headlines. And the longer it takes the city to respond, the more space it creates for fingers to be pointed and rumors to circulate that jeopardize Charlotte’s reputation and the confidence people have in their leaders. That affects the city’s ability to succeed and serve its citizens well in all areas, not just public safety.
But it took four days for Mayor Vi Lyles to publicly comment on the matter — a delay that did not go unnoticed by those seeking answers from the city.
The response from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police also left much to be desired. Days passed before CMPD confirmed information about the crime, including whether the suspect knew the victim or where, specifically, the incident occurred. While there may be legitimate reasons for the delay, there’s also precedent for CMPD being more forthcoming in the wake of high-profile incidents, as one reporter noted on social media.
Lyles’ statement, meanwhile, felt more defensive than reassuring.
“While there are questions about the safety and security of our transit system and our city, I do know there have been significant and sustained efforts to address safety and security within our transit system and across our city,” Lyles said in a statement Tuesday. “Charlotte is by and large a safe city. CATS by and large is a safe transit system.”
While it may be true that the city is working hard to address safety, those efforts also just might not be good enough. We can tell people that they’ll most likely be safe riding public transit or heading uptown, but that doesn’t help much when there’s very clear and tragic reminders that “by and large” doesn’t mean always, or that “reduction in violent crime” doesn’t mean no violent crime at all.
Lyles’ statement Tuesday didn’t say much about the victim. But it did mention that the alleged perpetrator, who has been arrested multiple times since 2011, “has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis.” According to reports from WSOC, police may have been aware of the suspect’s past signs of crisis, and CMPD’s crisis response team had referred him to available resources. The same report said there was no security on board the light rail when the incident occurred.
Dan Redford, president of the Charlotte- Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, said the group has been raising concerns about safety for a while, but they’ve fallen on deaf ears.
“Our frustrations continue to grow,” Redford said. “And it’s not just a police shortage issue, it’s not just a district attorney issue, it’s not just a court system issue. It’s a multi-faceted approach that needs to be put in place for actual, real results to occur.”
Redford said that while the response of city leaders so far has been lackluster, he hopes to see them start taking safety more seriously now. The chance to hire a new police chief in the coming months presents an opportunity for leaders to show they’re committed to change.
“Charlotte is Charlotte. We’re not comparable to any other city, because it is our own citizens that are being victimized here,” Redford said. “And if we look within our own house and take care of the issues that we have within our own boundaries, then we can actually start taking the proper steps forward to minimize crime.”
It’s actions, not words, that will reassure people in this moment. They need to see the change to know it’s taking place.
Deputy opinion editor Paige Masten can be reached at pmasten@charlotteobserver.com.
