From the Charlotte Observer's Editorial Board:
Charlotte-Mecklenburg police provided some numbers to cheer last week: a 7.8 percent drop in the number of crimes in the city from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, compared to 2010. Property crime fell 8.2 percent in that period, and violent crime 4.8 percent, and those numbers continue a significant decline in the number of crimes - 23 percent - in the past three years in Charlotte.
How did the city get there? Certainly, CMPD deserves applause for its police work, but criminologists warn that the underlying reasons for crime drops are complex and varied. Charlotte's numbers, in fact, mirror national drops in property and violent crimes, both short and long term.
The number of violent crimes in the United States fell 5.5 percent last year to the lowest rate in nearly four decades, according to FBI reports, perplexing experts who expected crime to rise during a period of economic hardship. Violent and property crime also have experienced long-term, sustained declines across the country, with violent crimes dropping steadily in the 1990s after a spike the decade before.
Criminologists offer several possible reasons for the declines, UNC Charlotte professor of criminal justice and criminology professor Robert Brame told the editorial board last week. Many cities increased the size of their police forces in the 1990s, Brame said, and a strong economy may have pulled criminals from the dangerous crack cocaine business into legitimate jobs.
Another factor: A large increase in the prison population, thanks to states widening the number of offenses that could lead to imprisonment.
Brame cautions, however, that crime numbers don't tell the complete story in cities. A U.S. Justice Department study showed about half of violent crimes and 60 percent of property crimes went unreported in 2009. Those numbers can vary from city to city - and neighborhood to neighborhood - based on factors that include confidence in police and an increase in Latinos, who historically are reluctant to report crimes.
But Brame also says that research affirms what common sense tells us - that more police on the street should lead to less crime. Credit for that in Charlotte goes to the City Council, which in 2006 voted to raise taxes, a third of which put 70 additional police officers on the street, and to CMPD for reassigning officers from specialty units to patrols.
CMPD also has put a priority on repeat offenders and vigorously increased its neighborhood policing efforts. The results of the latter move were illustrated in an Observer story last week that detailed how CMPD has successfully rid a North Davidson intersection of prostitutes and drugs.
CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe has had a sometimes bumpy tenure since he began in 2008. That includes a slow response to an uptown melee this summer, along with an officer, Marcus Jackson, being convicted of sexually assaulting six women after department screening didn't seem to produce red flags that might have prevented him from being hired.
But last week, good numbers arrived. Monroe and CMPD should be applauded for their role.
7 comments:
The Charlotte Observer is a clueless, dying, pile of garbarge.
Eveyone know Webster is cooking the books and that all officers are under pressure to "produce" lower crime stats.
Besides the thugs with guns, they have to worry about inflation now around 4%, a huge rate increase in family health insurance and city council and chief of police who could only come up with a 1% pay raise.
But the Charlotte City Council is happy to approve unmarked "take home" cars for those who drink from the Rodney Kool-Aid cooler.
What can you say?
Exactly what does Monroe have on the CO?
Because that could be the only sane reason for such false praise and non existent investigating and reporting.
That the only supposedly legitimate newspaper could do such shoddy work is inexcusable.
When the lid blows off, and it is coming, the CO will have much explaining to do as to why it did not expose the blatant corruption at CMPD.
Monroe has promoted and surrounded himself with such outragous incompetence and weak yesmen that the effects on a ONCE respected department are just tragic.
Do you really think Monroe, Medlock, and the rest of his brain trust can handle the DNC? I would be concerned and afraid.
What ever happened to Ray Tarasovic...does anyone know the real story?
Once again, no one really knows why Ray left, except that he saw the handwriting on the wall.
The Bloggers really got to Ray, his corrupt ways were no longer hidden, He wasn't getting to operate in the complete dark here, the way he liked it.
And I don't think he wanted to have to answer for the Marcus Jackson fiasco.
Who knows, but he was a really nasty piece of work, old school corrupt policing at its worst.
Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton has completed a comprehensive search process and concluded that Rodney Monroe will be the new Chief of Police for Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
Monroe was one of three candidates selected as finalists for interviews with the City Manager and invited to Charlotte to participate in a public forum held May 13.
Monroe embodies the qualities and characteristics identified in the profile developed for the next Chief of Police. These included offering the citizens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg aggressive and effective leadership and programming needed to address potential increases in crime rates; a strong commitment to customer service; dedication to policing that involves the community; and understanding of the importance in managing crime, public order and traffic safety issues.
Additionally, the next Chief of Police will have broad experience in all areas of municipal policing including patrol, criminal investigation and administration with an established record of effectively managing the activities and functions of a police department, all of which Monroe's has had experience.
Rodney Monroe personifies every aspect of the ideal Police Chief especially as a strong communicator, says City Manager Curt Walton.
So Charlotte how's this working for you?
From the lack of oversight, the blind eye , I would say that CC and Curt got exactly what they deserved.....an unethical, dare I say corrupt ,Chief of Police.
He fits right in with them...wouldn't you say?
The Detroit of the South.....quite a distinction and legacy for rodney...and such an accomplishment in such a short time, wow.
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