Henson who was promoted to Captain in September, has his hands full with both property crimes and homicides in an area of Charlotte that has seen the "quality of life" as well as the value of life decline at an astounding rate over the last ten years. Henson replaced Captain Jeffery Pless who was "reassigned" to the watch commanders office.
Cedar's Take - I expect that CMPD will report "crime is down".
Raintree Crash Has Responders Scratching Their Heads - This Toyota was wedged between a number of good sized trees early of the morning of Tuesday April 24, 2012 after the driver lost control while driving along Raintree's Four Mile Creek Road. Crews eventually cut down the trees in order to remove the small truck. The driver was transported with serious injuries, no word on his condition.
Clicking on any one of the above photos will take you to more of Davie Hinshaw's photos of the mess that greeted first responders.
CMPD Training Academy Shake Up - Reports via several sources that a serious house cleaning is under way out on Shopton Road. Seems that someone was "scrubbing" candidate's records including issues with credit reports in order to keep their scores acceptable and "pack' the pipeline. While there is no official word, rumor has it that a captain and sergeant cleaned out their offices recently.
What is most interesting is that staff at the academy voiced concerns about how certain "things" were being handled but those concerns fell on deaf ears, until someone did an end run and contacted CMPD's Human Resources directly.
Questions about the recruitment process first came to light during the Marcus Jackson fall out, which had Chief Monroe promising extensive reforms to prevent this sort of this thing from happening. (Jackson is scheduled to be released from prison one month from today).
Other Rumors - Reports that CMPD's recruiting trip to Puerto Rico is a complete bust as the one and only recruit has returned to San Juan to "pursue other interests".
Charlotte's Trolley Car Fiasco - Republican contenders for Sue Myrick's congressional seat were throwing around the Charlotte Trolley as example of wasteful spending last night. So just for laughs I drove down Trade Street/Elizabeth Avenue towards Charlotte's Presbyterian Hospital this morning.
From Charlottetown Avenue (formerly Independence) to Hawthorne two tracks run down each side of the street. Trouble is the cars don't fit, so you end up straddling the tracks which makes you either really close to the curb or the oncoming traffic. What I know about trolleys is limited, but in New Orleans they have the right away, as cars stop for traffic light trolleys don't which is the advantage of riding a trolley for short distances. But in Charlotte there is no way to move over for a Trolley heading in the same direction. The area is congested to the point where it took at least five minutes to cover the 3 blocks. Most of the time students were walking faster than I was able to safely drive the distance. I imagine that adding a couple of Trolley cars to the mix and it will become total grid lock.
While the landscaping is nice it has done little to prompt businesses to move to the area. The Visualite is still there, but it looks run down and the attempt to revive Anderson's Restaurant under a different name has failed. The area looks to be about 50% vacant retail/office space or vacant lots.
Regardless of the pros or cons for the trolley, from my vantage point it looks like a poorly planned idea that someone gave even less thought to the execution.
37 comments:
Hard for them to say crime is down end of first quarter it was up almost 10% citywide and that is by their own stats. Henson is a tool box. Also Capt. Gerald Smith and Sgt. Steve Durant were moved from the academy last week but it was said that it was not for anything that they had done wrong but because it was what the chief wanted to do. Typical BS.
Yep, just another dog and pony show, crime is off the charts, yet "magically" at these charades the numbers aways seem to say no...just abracadabra and crime is "down".
Isn't Henson the one that was parking a car in front of liquor stores in exchange for the liquor store not reporting any thefts? Abracadabra.....not taking reports seems to be his modus operandi.
Also, why would the chief feel the need to defend his transfers of the Sgt, and Captain if there wasn't something going on?
The one person they "recruited" from Puerto Rico had one major obstacle he was hindered by, He Couldn't Speak English, oops!
Grab your popcorn and get comfortable, these shows are nothing else if not entertaining, fiction most always is!
Yep, Henson is "one of theirs"...... gets caught and gets a little slap on the hand, no Watch Commander for him...he shares the downtown philsophy.....disengenuous and vindictive.
I imagine this little show is his mea culpa from what I am told by friends at CMPD.
Such a Soap Opera downtown, Prima Donas, hysterics,
skullduggery, lies....
The guy in the Toyo was lucky. Just the right angle and tada!
Money says it would have died had the pick-up not "grazed" the first trees.
It should be just another PR INFOMERCIAL...with all the little automatons and court jesters running around trying to shore up the disintergrating morale and reputation that Rodney has created in the petri dish of corruption now existing at CMPD.
If only anyone believed them, and more importantly, if anyone respected them.
I work in Hickory Grove, I was there today.
It is crazy how facilely the "Captain" reported on crime.
Trust me, you cannot go from 13 to 1 as he said, and do it honestly, you cannot.
It would be impossible, it is impossible.
If it were possible, every single Division would be using his "magic formula" to disappear crime.
Wake up people, you cannot all be that stupid!
There was one reporter there who was asking pertinent questions....and getting untruthful answers. Don't know who she was, but she needs to keep digging and asking these same questions.
But now, once again, it is on film, they cannot deny that they were not truthful about crime stats.....it is right there.
Morale is in the dumper, respect for the Captain is nil,
everyone in the Division knows what is going on and
cannot stop it. Hell, everyone at CMPD knows what is going on in most Divisions. To have to watch the outright lies is painful.
Hickory Grove is down for the Quarter. folks, for the quarter, they are Number One (sure they are) for the QUARTER!
Check back in a few weeks....Such unmitigated Bullshit....went from 13 to 1.....,Bullshit.
How can people stand up there and just lie, no other way to say it, lie.
People that we should be holding to higher standards cannot even meet the lowest standards.
But they put all their "resources" in manufacturing crime stats in Hickory Grove.....wonder why?
I'm not sure why people think it is so hard to go from 13 to 1. If you had the worst numbers last year, it is easier to beat them the following year. That is what the ranking system is comparing, a division's performance vs. the previous year.
Anonymous 1:45 is absolutely correct, the numbers are only for the QUARTER and will change many times throughout the year.
Was RoMo at the presses?
Anon 2:53
If anyone could ever get a look at the real numbers, what you say may have some validity.
Cedar,
Your Homicide count is 13 and only goes through the first half of March. Weren't there others since then, too? Wasn't there also at least one other death in Univ. area that should have been homicide (caretaker killed man?)?
I think the homicide increase is more than 100%, which is bad enough.
When Pless was yanked for being honest and other similar issues, the reported crime rate was bound to change there.
There are things that are totally out of your control going on that influence your crime numbers. The police department focuses their efforts and does have an impact on crime, but again, things are going to happen that are out of your control that will influence your numbers. Example, a suspect will decide to destroy your area by committing 10 burglaries in your area during any given 28 day period out of the blue. You will work your butt off to saturate the area, educate residents and focus on prior offenders until you make a catch and stop the bleeding. So you finish the period with a huge increase because of this one suspect, lets say 20 burglaries total. The following year, that suspect hits another area, and you don't have that spike of 10. You finish the period with 10 total burglaries (your regular average) and show a huge reduction. Truthfully the PD just wants to make sure that you do everything you can to address the trend.
The best way to look at how crime is trending is to look at three year monthly averages. That will take care of spikes and outliers.
CMPD has legitimately reduced crime in Charlotte by holding everyone at all levels more accountable. The problem comes from people who don't understand that at some point numbers will bottom out and you will show increases again when comparing period to period, quarter to quarter, year to year. The PD in general gets this, but sometimes they get out of hand and nervous when the numbers spike. They then put more pressure on everyone at all levels, which contributes to low morale and related issues. The fact is that crime will occur in Charlotte regardless of what the PD does because of deep seeded social issues that fall outside of the realm of the PD.
Conversely, crime sometimes will just stop in an area for an unknown reason which will result in a huge reduction. It is hard to find a correlation between what the PD is doing and the reduction, but certainly they'll take credit for it. So basically it can work the other way as mentioned above.
I believe in increased accountability, but focusing too heavily on the numbers and where your division ranks among the others is a mistake.
whatever truth there is to what you just said, there is more truth to the FACT that rodney and his lackeys have defied public records law, refused to release statistics requested, wouldn't even release them to the Department of Justice or the FBI, and has gone to other crazy lenghts to cover up real numbers and reports.
There is a reason for that, and it has to do with trying to make crime artificially appear lower than it actually is. Taking the CFS data and access to individual reports offline is another part of that. Constant reports from the public of downgraded reports (even see today's newswpaper comments--B&E reported by police as false alarm) contribute to artificially low numbers. We all know it.
Seems like pressure to report more honestly is finally having at least some effect, but the real numbers are still higher because officers are still being told and many are still caving to downgrading or not reporting crimes. Stop making excuses because it only adds to the undue pressure for false competition as you correctly described above and gives the one in charge a nail to hang his hat on.
Now that got that off my chest, the only other thing that I will mention is that behind the discontent at CMPD is a change in culture. The chief came in and questioned everything. If the PD did something one way, he would ask why, which would result in changing the way things were done. Sometimes this was good, sometimes not. This now has become ingrained in the movers and shakers in the PD. Those who were taught how to do things one way are constantly challenged to do them a different way. This "change" is difficult. Especially when the "change" is just for the sake of "change". Things have been topsy turvy in the PD for a few years now and everyone is on edge because of this culture change and it causes an enormous amount of pressure on everyone in the PD.
Example: in the old days, experience mattered... certifications, education and accomplishments.
Question: Why do we make personnel decisions based on that... How do you develop younger officers and give them a "fair" chance.
Result: Go to the opposite side of the spectrum and don't count experience, certifications, education and experience for anything.
Questioning the status quo can be a good thing, but just like anything, when taken to extremes, it can bite you.
I pray that things will balance out as the pendulum swings back to reason at the CMPD.
You left out a few major elements in your "change"
theory.....corruption and unethical behavior and no integrity.
There was Never questioning the status quo, it was only "my way is the only way."
Change is one thing, instilling a sense of fear and intimidation in some and entitlement and preference in others divides and conquers.
Also, when you have so skewed the numbers for so long, it totally screws up any chance of knowing what the true numbers are.
Holding people more accountable? I call total bullshit on this genteel description of what is browbeating, screaming, yelling, humiliating, intimidating and threatening subordinates into submission with beating them over the head with Comstat.
Add to all this the culture of corruption that now has become an accepted way of doing business at CMPD, and you have Detroit....
10:35 speaks the truth
9:45 is floating some kind of monroe apologist or someone with head firmly up ass. actually, same thing.
Cedar,
I think it was City Human Resources....
CMPD Human Resources does diddley shit for anyone.....they are on the Rodney Bandwagon.
given everything else City of Charlotte HR knows is going on and won't stop, it's hard to believe they even did anything.
Who specifically?
They report to Walton and he is responsible for the CMPD, so how are they doing anything? Walton is in charge of making sure Monroe does all of the things he has been doing. They are equally culpable.
Capt Gerald smith and sgt Durant were only transferred for what they did. Smith changed credit score reports for applicants. Officers reported this to Durant and he did nothing. This matter should have been investigated by internal affairs and both should have been recommended for termination. What they did is beyond unethical. IA did not investigate because the chief and the rest of his "yes men" want to cover this act up and sweep it under the rug. So much for the chief's "accountability" philosophy.
Guess it should be said "if that is true..."
Selvey should be fired if he doesn't take charge and get this cleaned up. Monroe should be fired. Smith should be fired. Durant should be fired. Walton should be fired, if established he knew, too. If not, there's plenty other he does know about. Any officers who knowingly had their credit reports changed to get in should be fired.
Any person on the hiring board who doesn't take emergency action has no business being on that board.
Every person in IA and every file in there should be checked to see what else is being buried. Every other file in the Academy should be checked AGAIN, because nearly being shut down by the recent/ongoing SBI investigation over the other 500 personnel records they say they were "missing" wasn't enough to keep them from lying about financial records to get unqaulified recruits in.
What the hell are the SBI and the FBI thinking? If they can't be trusted to pay attention to the largest police academy in the state when it's already under scrutiny for missing personnel records on 1/3 of its officers, what are they doing?
What is the City Council thinking? EVERY LAWSUIT FILED WILL BE WON ON GROUNDS OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE, AT LEAST. And the DA's office wil have to dismiss cases left and right because of the dishonesty of every single officer who has been involved in the entire chain of command. Those officers can never be beleived again in court, or as supervisors of cases, or in any other way. Of course, Monroe started his career here that way, with slaps on the back from hirer-in-chief, Walton, for whom I have the same level of respect.
Mr. DA, wake up.
I heard the Chief stood up in a meeting and told Brass that Smith WAS NOT being transferred because he did anything wrong, but that he was only being transferred because he, (the Chief), wanted to transfer him.
Why did the Chief feel the need to defend him? Has he spoken up for any other Captains that have been unceremoniously and wrongly transferred, because they honestly did nothing wrong?
And he got a DIVISION? WTF???
What did Smith get?
And who was in charge at the Academy?
He's going down for this, and I hope all the ass kissing yes men/ women go down with him.
How many more corrupt coverups will it take for this man to be revealed for what he is?
Or will he lie about this, and will others once again lie to cover for his ass?
Officers are fired for much less, if they lie ONE time, their credibility is shot and they can't testify any more, and all their past cases are called into question.
The lies he has told know no bounds.
How will they spin this?
IA should hook them all up, lie detectors all around! Oh wait, Rodney contros IA.
And is Durant on first shift with a cushy little job for keeping his mouth shut?
This is way beyond the pale.
I believe Durant is back in South where he came from....who did they have to move there to give him that?
In other news, two homicides last night, have to ask, was the Chief there?
Oh, and the public can rest easy, the killings were NOT random acts of violence. That should make everyone okay with the violence, right? As long as it is black on bkack, drug deaer on drug dealer, gang member on gang member.....
because thise kinds of murders don't really affect the quality of life in Charlotte, right? Right ! Idiots!
yeah, complicit news were quick to say they "knew each other" to try to make it okay??
Always with the caveat, "not a random act of violence".
And the "news anchors" feel compelled to continuously repeat this inane comment at the end of every story involving violence or murder...like the big lie, repeat it enough and people will believe it.
Do CMPD and the media believe this fools the public into thinking Charlotte has no violent crime that affects them?
Violent crime affects every citizen because it affects the overall quality of life.
Maybe all of them need to take some remedial sociology classes.
Maybe the law abiding citizens of mecklenburg county just don't care that two drug dealers got murdered. It's not a real big loss in society. Instead of blaming everyone else maybe they should blame the drug dealer's parents. Oh wait that would mean that someone would have to take responsibility for failing as parents as many of the inner city black parents do fail at parenting. I say who cares if two drug dealers got whacked. Regardless if they are black white Asian hispanic. Two less stains on society dragging the test of the world down with them.
Is CMPD releasing the statement that the two murder victims " ALLOWED" the killers inside so they don't have to
call it a Home Invasion?
If someone shows me a gun, I would "allow" them inside, too.
Anon 2:29
Once again, Siciology 101.
Violence, killings affect the whole community, no matter who it involves.
On a more basic level you might understand, you would perhaps care if a stray bulet harmed someone you knew.
If someone you knew was shopping in the Mall and was harmed by a stray bullet.
At 2:48.
I'm sure I would care. However you fail to see the point I was making. If you choose to deal in drugs, live a life of crime and knowingly choose to livd a life of violence then when you get shot as a result of your poor desicion making then no I don't feel sorry for you. It's hour own fault. No pity here. If a stray bullet hits anyone who is innocent then yes I would feel sympathy for them regardless if they were family or not. You are a direct reflection of what is wrong with society today. Blame others its never the fault of the drug dealer. Its societies fault for not teaching them right from wrong. It's not the fact that their parents failed to teach them right from wrong or how to be productive in society. So no I truly don't give a damn that two drug dealers are dead. The community is better off without them.
Anon 3:06
I don't think I ever said that people, including drug dealers, should not take responsibility for their lifestyle choices. I am not "blaming" anyone else. Assigning blame is an easy out.
As a responsible member of society (sociology 101), we all share in the successes and failures of our society.
And we all should share in finding solutions, and not just writing off whole segments of our society.
Life is rarely as simple as you seem to believe it is.
so, should we assume that monroe, gallant, smith, walton, graue, medlock, etc... came from homes where no one taught them right from wrong and get into a discussion about that?
Or should we recognize they know whether and when they are breaking rules and laws now and deal with that?
If the chief law enforcement personnel are casually covering up malfeasance and misspending to the tune of millions of dollars, how about cleaning up our own house first?
How about spending that money for hiring & raises for QUALIFIED men and women to do the job properly and without fear of retaliation for telling the truth, even when the truth isn't pretty about crime or about bad conduct? How about spending that money for safety equipment and insurance instead of new cars and motorcycles and millions just in shiny uniforms for chief domroe?
Don't devolve into some other conversation when the blame is firmly in the big, multi-million dollar office that uses fear, intimidation, and "mainstream" news as PR(which doesn't seem to be too difficult in this town) to control whatever is within his reach.
Courts seem to be partially outside his reach. People speaking up about the truth and putting out documents and truth cannot be controlled. You can't keep this many people quiet forever. That's why the blogs are so important.
Anon 3:33
Ok Now that I am at a computer and not trying to do this on my phone let me clearly spell out what I am trying to say.
It is not my responsibility or anyone else to create, pay for or run social programs to teach anyone in society how to act, think or live their lives. That is the role of the parents and the family. It is not my responsibility to take up the slack of parents who choose to abandon their children either literally or abandon them through poor parenting.
These two drug dealers clearly were failed by their parents and their families. They were not taught about ethical behavior, right from wrong, and the value of a hard day’s work. Instead they were raised by a society that says "me me me." Give me what I want now. Give me the most money that I can have damned the consequences because I am more important than anyone else so I am going to sell drugs to make the most money I can make damn the effect on anyone else.
So no, I absolutely will not ever feel sorry for any drug dealer, gang member, rapist, child molester, or drug addict who gets killed as a result of them committing a crime or attempting to commit a crime. If they are an adult and are clearly making a piss poor decision to negatively impact another person through their wrong doings and as a result of that they are killed, whether or not by another stain on society, I will not feel any empathy, sorrow or remorse for that person. They made a poor choice in life and they suffered the consequences of it.
I would not ask you to feel sorry for me or help me out if I went and spent my entire savings on lottery tickets and lost everything and now I am penniless and homeless. It would be my own fault and not your responsibility to help me out. I would have to suffer the consequences of my poor decision making at life, as have these two drug dealers that are now dead.
Again I say. I feel nothing for their death and I for one am glad to know that they are no longer out there destroying society and this community with their selfish acts.
Anon 4:05
I got nothin' for anyone that can compare a drug addict to a rapist and child molester...nothin'.
We are clearly from two different solar systems.
And Anon 3:35
We are clearly fom two different Galaxies.
Having a conversation about drug dealers doesn't have to come back to the poor excuses for leaders all those people you mentioned are.
And I am sure that Gallant, Foster,Medlock, Graue, Zinkann, Monroe and the rest of the 'leaders" at CMPD would tell you what good "christian" people they are all the while they are lying, backstabbing, demeaning and covering up a multitude of corrupt behaviors.
The only difference between them and the drug dealers is they have managed to put a little better face on their slimyness and are sanctioned to carry a gun.
4:35, from 3:35: you don't have to explain but I'm confused you say we're from two different galaxies since I concur completely with your comment. Maybe something muddy about the way I wrote mine?
It seems the string started out about the lying and abuse going on by CMPD brass and was starting to head to societal problems/drug dealers/parental issues, which is important but a different topic. I'm not in charge of topics and won't interfere, but that's what I was trying to say. Hope I cleared up any confusion since I agree with you completely. Completely.
Two things about CMPD. First you either need to be a female or have a differnt type of life style and you will be safe. Not matter what kind of stunt you pull.
Second, there is a female Sgt. that went over to Hickory Grove with Chuckie and is riding his coat tails. She is two faced and officer's in this district beware, as she will drop you in the grease in a heartbeat.
I feel confident Gerald will make Major next go round.
I hope people are looking into this outrageous and blatant cover up of unethical and corrupt behavior.
The latest such coverup of many.
Anon 04/28/12 @ 9:45 a.m.
Godd luck on that one. No one is going to look into the corruption of CMPD because it goes all the way to the top, even including City Council. Thank God that don't live in Charlotte because there are nothing but DUMB ASS PEOPLE working there.
ROMO hands the local news stations and news papers a line of bullshit and they just believe it and run with it. If they were to take the time and do some real investigation as being a journalist. Then they would discover the truth.
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