Is Charlotte less safe than other cities?
I am so accustomed to talking with newcomers who are thrilled to be in Charlotte that my recent conversation with a Manhattan transplant shocked me.
“I have felt more unsafe here than anywhere I’ve ever lived,” she said. “I think Charlotte has a dark underbelly that not many people talk about.”
The conversation was triggered by discussion of the mysterious case of Kyle Fleischmann, who left an uptown bar alone, without any money, and vanished. His story has resonated because most people I know have a story involving drinking a little too much and losing track of one or two of the friends we went out with. His disappearance has many of us imagining the worst.
There are other reasons my friend feels unsafe. A frightening spate of random robberies has been making news. Women walking alone uptown or in center-city neighborhoods are often bothered by aggressive panhandlers. Crime rates have seesawed here.
But this is my home, and I have always felt fundamentally safe, so long as I took common-sense precautions. I don’t walk alone at night unless I’m in a well-lit, highly-populated area. I use my burglar alarm consistently. I always make sure my cell phone is charged before I go out and I make sure someone knows where I am.
Charlotte isn’t much more dangerous than similar-sized cities. Most violent crimes here, as with most other places, occur between people who know each other. The crime I am most likely to become a victim of is a car break-in. (Please, don’t leave stuff out visibly in your car!)
I also believe that as far as the center city goes, things will get much better – and soon. As each new condo tower opens, it sends a new batch of people out to walk the streets at all hours. So the chances of finding yourself in a frightening situation will diminish.
Last night I was at the Police concert. It was a thrilling feeling to be among the 15,000 people leaving Bobcats Arena all at once – all pumped up from a great show, filling uptown streets. Many of us poured into nearby bars and restaurants – I ended up at Brixx – for a post-show snack and drink.
This scene is repeated anytime there’s a big show at the arena, but I’m hoping that our uptown is developing enough that those kinds of crowds will be commonplace whether or not a special event has brought them there.
Transplants, do you agree with my friend or do you feel safer here than other places? What can be done to improve Charlotte’s sense of safety?
“I have felt more unsafe here than anywhere I’ve ever lived,” she said. “I think Charlotte has a dark underbelly that not many people talk about.”
The conversation was triggered by discussion of the mysterious case of Kyle Fleischmann, who left an uptown bar alone, without any money, and vanished. His story has resonated because most people I know have a story involving drinking a little too much and losing track of one or two of the friends we went out with. His disappearance has many of us imagining the worst.
There are other reasons my friend feels unsafe. A frightening spate of random robberies has been making news. Women walking alone uptown or in center-city neighborhoods are often bothered by aggressive panhandlers. Crime rates have seesawed here.
But this is my home, and I have always felt fundamentally safe, so long as I took common-sense precautions. I don’t walk alone at night unless I’m in a well-lit, highly-populated area. I use my burglar alarm consistently. I always make sure my cell phone is charged before I go out and I make sure someone knows where I am.
Charlotte isn’t much more dangerous than similar-sized cities. Most violent crimes here, as with most other places, occur between people who know each other. The crime I am most likely to become a victim of is a car break-in. (Please, don’t leave stuff out visibly in your car!)
I also believe that as far as the center city goes, things will get much better – and soon. As each new condo tower opens, it sends a new batch of people out to walk the streets at all hours. So the chances of finding yourself in a frightening situation will diminish.
Last night I was at the Police concert. It was a thrilling feeling to be among the 15,000 people leaving Bobcats Arena all at once – all pumped up from a great show, filling uptown streets. Many of us poured into nearby bars and restaurants – I ended up at Brixx – for a post-show snack and drink.
This scene is repeated anytime there’s a big show at the arena, but I’m hoping that our uptown is developing enough that those kinds of crowds will be commonplace whether or not a special event has brought them there.
Transplants, do you agree with my friend or do you feel safer here than other places? What can be done to improve Charlotte’s sense of safety?
posted by Leigh at
11:36 AM
84 Comments:
I'm from NY but have lived in Charlotte since '88.
I have lived uptown since 2003. I feel the safest in the uptown area.
On a whole I think Charlotte is pretty safe considering it's size. Using common sense is key wherever you live or visit. I think most people don't use it.
I exercized that common sense (for me) last night and left the Police show early along with others because I thought it was pretty bad.
But I am glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Opps, "exercised".
Yes.
And no.
Yes.
And no.
Charlotte is pretty damn safe.
Its safe compared to Atlanta. But we have a lot of gang activity, and it is increasing every year so we'll see what it is like in a few years time.
It also depends on what part of town you're in. Uptown is probably one of the safer areas to be. There are some areas I don't even like driving through. And anywhere you're out walking alone at 3AM is risky.
I've had much less problems with panhandlers in Boston, New York and DC than I ever had here. I never got my car stolen in those other places either.
As a city, it would be good for us to collectively admit we're not some kind, genteel Southern town where nothing bad happens. There is some evil that happens in this town and a bunch of people who simply want to deny it. And don't blame Yankees or immigrants for all the problems here. These problems existed long before a lot of other people moved here.
I feel safe here, but I also felt safe in NYC. Don't act/look vulnerable and don't do stupid things like walk in a park late at night, etc...
I'm concerned less about center city (where I work) and more about the University City region (where I live and where my spouse works). The growing numbers of carjackings, robberies and assaults in the area is starting to be a concern. I shouldn't have to fear for my life when I stop by a Food Lion in the Davis Lake area at 9pm.
Uh, how about we help Charlotte to be safer by no longer pretending it is safe?
The facts are quite clear on this front: Charlotte IS more dangerous than its peers.
Doesn't mean we hide in fear, though. Just try locking up the bad guys for a change.
DC panhandlers are WAY worse
If they would actually arrest all the damn loiterers it would fix part of the problems.
THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CITY. WHILE CITY CENTER PARTNERS AND THE CHAMBER MAY WANT TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE. IT IS NOT SO MUCH CENTER CITY. TRY SOUTH BOULEVARD IN THE ARCHDALE AREA OR CENTRAL AVENUE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE AND I HAVE LIVED HER FOR 45 YEARS. IF YOU WATCH THE LOCAL NEWS MOST OF THE LEAD STORIES ARE ABOUT CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS.
Hey, maybe it would be safer around here if:
The police were allowed to arrest criminals, including illegal aliens, instead of trying to be social workers per Chief Stephens' mandate.
Criminals weren't so quickly put back on the street with multiple probations. The very idea of probation includes that you will be locked up for a very long time if you violate your probation.
Our DAs had the funding and the staff to prosecute more cases, rather than pleading out 95% or more of their cases.
Our judges had the huevos to actually punish criminals with harsh jail terms, rather than letting so many of them go.
I find it to be somewhat insensitive to link the dissappearance of Kyle to drinking. How about waiting for the facts.
Common sense will keep most law abiding citizens from becoming a crime victim.
Most crimes of commited due to opportunities... reduce those oppotunities and you'll be fine. Charlotte is NO different than any other city our size.
Leaving a bar at 2:30 in the morning under the influence by yourself is NOT USING COMMONS SENSE!
I agree with the comment that Charlotte is unsafe. I have been a victim of a crime 3 times since I've lived in Charlotte (since 2004). I have lived in DC and Philadelphia before this move. The reason why I feel this way stems more from the fact that police presence in Charlotte is very, very minimal. There is a "reactionary" instinct with the police in Charlotte once a crime has occured. Efforts to deter crime based on active, visible law enforcement is not at the forefront in Charlotte.
I have lived in Charlotte for almost two years and I don't feel safe at all here. I live on the outskirts of Charlotte in what many would consider to be a very safe suburban area, and I have seen a tremendous increase in crime there.
I have lived in much larger cities and felt much safer in those.
It doesn't help that Charlotte is a difficult city to maneuver through (hard to read street signs, streets that change names, not well lit area's, etc.)and I am constantly lost and ending up in area's that are unfamiliar which frightens me very much.
And Uptown scares the heck out of me after everyone goes home from work.
I think it will get worse before it gets better, but that's just my opinion.
Was downtown a few weeks back to see a show at Blumenthal. My wife and I are both in oy early 70's. I was concerned about parking and security. We saw absoultely ZERO Police presence in the downtown area. On the way home we saw FIVE cars at the convenience store at Sharon Amity and Randolph. We will not go back downtown.
It seems safe as long as you are in your house by dark.
Interesting that people think the panhandlers are worse here. If anything, Charlotte bums are EXTREMELY tame compared to their big-city counterparts. Walk around Five Points in Atlanta and count how many seconds go by before some crazy old homeless guy starts shouting at you from across the street. That just doesn't happen in Charlotte, not more than once in a blue moon anyway. Yes, there are some (not a lot) panhandlers downtown but they mostly just sit on the bus benches or wander around quietly. If you're not scared of appearances you have nothing to fear from them.
I do agree, though, with the posters who have pointed out that the suburbs are quickly becoming more dangerous than the center city. Of course there are always the sheltered subdivisions of the south, but University City will be downright scary in a few years if it keeps its current rate of decline. The east side is already there, with formerly-pleasant neigbhorhoods overrun with gangs and streetwalking hoodlums. You can literally hear gunshots on a nightly basis if you are foolish enough to hang around Eastway Drive. That is just not acceptable, but how do we solve the problem? Police presence alone won't fix it, we have to start to address the undercurrent of poverty that is entirely too easy to ignore in other parts of the city.
It all goes back to people not being connected enough to their surroundings. They jump at shadows in the city's safest district, but ignore open gang warfare in the blighted suburbs. This will be a very strange city in 20 years if the current trends continue.
Poverty is a work ethic problem. All it takes is 5 minutes riding around time and you see "Help Wanted" signs. But as long as we take care of them they have no motivation.
And West Virginia is a poor state. But those folks work together and you see very little crime.
Sadly, two nearby neighbors have been broken into within the past 30 days. I live in what I have considered a "Leave it to Beaver" neighborhood for years. Do I feel less safe now? You betcha.
I lived in Manhattan for years before moving here in 2005. Uptown is DisneyWorld compared to NYC. There is so much going on in NYC the minor crimes aren't discussed at all. If the Daily News/NY Post reported every crime no one would ever step foot in Manhattan. I laugh when people claim Uptown in not safe.
I think a little statistical evidence would have gone a long way instead of your individual feelings. Charlotte has VERY high crime statistics against the national averages of citys with similar population densitys. Most alarming is the murder rate.
It is safer than the other seven major cities that are worse than us
CITIES OF 500,000 OR MORE POPULATION: (32 cities)
Most Safest is on top and the most dangerous is under it with the ranking of ten most safest and dangerous cities in America:
1
San Jose, CA
1
Detroit, MI
2
Honolulu, HI
2
Baltimore, MD
3
El Paso, TX
3
Memphis, TN
4
New York, NY
4
Washington, DC
5
Austin, TX
5
Philadelphia, PA
6
San Diego, CA
6
Dallas, TX
7
San Antonio, TX
7
Nashville, TN
8
Louisville, KY
8
Charlotte, NC
9
Fort Worth, TX
9
Columbus, OH
10
Jacksonville, FL
10
Houston, TX
http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm
I lived in NYC for 35 years and Charlotte for 30. Do the math. I'm old. NY had excellent police presence; I did not ride the subway at night, but buses or cabs were available. Not here. And in Charlotte, as long as "the powers that be" put scatter-site public housing next to nice established neighborhoods (Florence Avenue and Pineburr come to mind) you are just importing the very element that people moved into the nice neighborhood to get away from. The trash thrown from the boombox thumping cars is staggering, and I am afraid to walk my large dog in my neighborhood after 8:30 at night. As long as the police are forced into a "catch and release" program, thugs are turned loose before the officer has completed the paperwork, it is only going to get worse. As soon as I retire, I'm outta here.
Congrats! We are the 8th most dangerous city on the country.
Good statistic!
Actually, if you look at several similarly sized cities -- NOT just San Jose and Austin -- what you'll find is a more complicated comparison of Charlotte's crime rate and that of other cities. But that doesn't appeal to people's fears as well as some folks (not talking about you, Leigh) would like.
I left Charlotte in 2000 and returned this year. I am seeing a lot more reports of crime now than I did pre-2000. The problem with crime here is that it seems to be all over the area and not localized to a few areas. I think it is important to be alert and not put yourself into situations where you are at higher risk to be a victim.
Please stop kidding yourselfs. Charlotte is not that dangerous. I have lived in Charlotte for 17 years and there has rarely been a time when I have ever felt unsafe, and the few times that I have, I was in an unquestionably unsafe area of the city--so I knew what I was getting into.
The violence in Charlotte does not even hold a candle to the violence of cities like Baltimore, Philly, New Orleans and many others.
And anyone who would have the nerve to complain about the bums in Charlotte has ovbiously never been to D.C. or NY or L.A. or Atl. I bring outsiders into Charlotte and they can't believe how clean uptown is and how few bums walk around. If you walk on any street in D.C., you will find that every five seconds you will be bargaining with a bum... and on the trains in NY...forget about it.
I feel very unsafe here. I moved here almost 3 years ago from northern NJ and I worked in NYC. I felt much safer there than I do here. I never go out by myself after 10pm...ever.
I live in Elizabeth, which is supposed to be a descent neighborhood. Here's a short list of the crimes (that I am aware of so you know there are more)that have occurred in/around my neighborhood in the past few years:
1. Multiple home invasions in Plaza Midwood and Chantilly. One was two blocks from my house and the woman was raped repeatedly.
2. Armed robbery at shoe store on Central - employees were locked in closet and held at gunpoint.
3. Gun pulled out at local pizza joint and pointed at patrons and employees.
4. Car jacking with shots fired at the end of my block. It was barely dark!
5. Tons of car break-ins.
That's just around one little area of the city.
Something has to be done.
I have moved here from Houston and I am shocked by how unsafe I feel here compared to Houston a city of 4 million. My fear comes from the fact that there are so many crimes that happen in areas or places that I could be frequenting. The number of bank robberies are alarming.
This is an interesting question and sadly one that has come up many times in the past within certain media outlets.(with no answers to date that I know of) I moved here in late 1999 from the midwest, and I liked the area very much. The mountains and ocean were within easy driving distance. Since I moved here tho, I do not feel safe in this city. I think the worst or one of the worst areas is the University area, where I have lived the whole time. Car break ins and robberies are fairly common in this area and the number of voilent crimes seems to be escalating as well. ( I do read the crime blotters in some of the local papers) The problems? Not enough police and not enough of them at any one time to make a real difference/impact. Secondly I think there is an attitude of react when the crime is done rather on focusing some effort into prevention. Thirdly, the school system in this area is so out of whack how can we possibly do any prevention when people are more concerned that their kids will attend school in a classroom that is essentially a trailer home?. This county spends more money in building new residential areas that are already overcrowded and lack proper municipal staffing. Somehow it would seem safe to say it boils down to money like the generalization goes.
I can't believe you think Elizabeth is a decent neighborhood! It is on the upswing, but you gotta be pretty brave to live there and try to go outside at night.
The homeless problem is worse here than I've encountered in Boston or NY. The random robberies and carjackings are too numerous to make one feel safe, and the revolving door of a court system in the city of Charlotte is a joke.
Didn't you all understand Mayor Pat during the latest campaign?
Paying to stop crime is the state's responsibility! He and City Council just can't find the money! It wouldn't be right for them to pay!!!
They've got things like Whitewater Centers, Halls of Fame and Ballparks to build.
Houston is a little over 2 million.
First, I'd like to apologize for not including crime statistics in this initial entry. I spent three and a half years as a public safety reporter here at the Observer, and I wrote 94 articles about crime data or statistics involving Charlotte during that time. One thing that experience taught me is that it is very difficult to compare cities to each other using crime data because of differing reporting methods. The statistics cited by a few of you here ranking us as the nation's 8th most dangerous city (which I've written about before if you go back to my June 30 entry)have been widely challenged by those in law enforcement, including CMPD chief Darrel Stephens. Here are some statistics I'll repeat from our recent article on Stephens' upcoming retirement: From 1999, when he became chief, through 2006, the homicide rate declined from 13.7 per 100,000 to 11.4 per 100,000 people; the violent crime rate declined from 1,332 to 1,035 per 100,000; and the property crime rate declined from 7,454 to 6,761 crimes per 100,000. And I'll reiterate that random violent crimes between strangers remain statistically rare, here and elsewhere. But it only takes a few incidents to rattle people's sense of safety, and that's what this entry is about. Anyone wanting to discuss these issues further is welcome to email me at Ldyer@charlotteobserver.com.
I agree completely! I have been to most major cities, and feel less save in Charlotte than in any of them. The Police here do not aggressively patrol the streets. Maybe the new Police Chief will change that, and I hope he or she is from a city in another part of the country, and will demand more from the CMPD.
I haven't felt safe here for the past 2 years. Even my out of town company has said the same. A lot of crime for the population. Punishment seems leanent.
I have lived in the University City area for 2.5 years and do not feel safe at all. I am 27 and female, so I am afraid to go out at night, even to get groceries (anyone remember the kidnap/rape incident at the Sugar Creek/Harris blvd. Bloom a couple of months back? Yeah.). I lived in an affluent part of northern NJ for most of my life, where the cops would be at your doorstep in literally 2 minutes if you called (not that we ever did), and if you forgot to lock your door sometimes it wasn't a big deal. We literally had like, no crime in my small town. I understand that that's comparing apples to oranges, since Charlotte is bigger, but still, if I'm not worrying about getting killed by some insane cell-phone yakker running a red light, I'm stressing over being shot over the $5 I've got in my wallet. I will also say this, I feel that the crime has a lot to do with the um, ethnic makeup of the city. When you have a larger minority population in a city, the crime tends to be higher. The stats speak for themselves on that one. I would move in a second if I didn't have a great job and fiancee here.
It does seem the crime is high here comparable to the population.
The other thing is that as more high-end condos are built uptown it chases more low-income/homeless out of uptown and into the outer ring suburbs, which seem to becoming less safe as well.
I've been out in Charlotte and felt scared and I've been out and felt perfectly safe.
Compared to other places I've lived -- SC, Tenn., NY, OH, PA. -- I'd say this is the most dangerous, place I've lived, but it's also the largest.
I'm really suprised by what I'm reading. I moved here about two years ago. I feel the safest in Charlotte out of any of the places I've lived in (MA, NJ, and PA). By far.
The homeless aren't nearly as aggressive here either.
To me, it must be a matter of perception (or experience). Perhaps the cost of living adjustment is the factor? I live in a much nicer neighborhood in Matthews than I did anywhere else. Whereas before I had to live in 'iffy' areas (particularly in New Jersey). Maybe that explains it. If I go out, it's generally to uptown to the Bobcats or a nice restaurant or shopping/dining in Ballantyne or South Park.
One thing I have noticed is that there is a definite lack of police presence compared to other metro areas like Boston and NYC. There are cops on every corner there it seems. Is there are police per capita statistic that's available comparing similar sized cities including Charlotte?
If the people feel that charlotte is not safe then report it to the council and police. I would get the signatures of those that do not think charlotte is safe and show it to council and police. You got to also look at the low income neighborhoods. If those neighborhoods were cleaned up there would be the no crime. The people in the bad neighborhood must also help get rid of the bad element in their neighborhood.
Well - about 10-1 against feeling safe. Pretty sad!
There's another near concensus here however. Most feel quite safe downtown while not at home in the suburbs.
Could it be that center city where the business elite and politicians like to entertain and impress gets a strong eye from the police department, while you can't get a cop to come into your neighborhood until after a crime has been committed? Well at least not unless you live in Myers Park or similar. I bet McCrory and Burgess feel pretty safe in their neighborhoods.
Anonymous from 10:02 must be reading a different blog...
not sure anyone here has said they feel less safe in the suburbs.
Just goes to show, people believe what they want to believe.
Sounds like if there is a consensus on this board, it's that more police are needed.
If uptown feels unsafe, people come here to complain about how horrible it is.
If uptown feels safe, people come here to complain about how unfair it is that uptown isn't dangerous.
Some people just hate uptown and will complain about it no matter what. That is about the only thing I've learned on Observer blogs.
I live in Seattle now , but will be moving to Charlotte in a few months. It sounds like the police force needs to make a HUGE presence. Here, I live in the heart of downtown. A few months ago someone was shot at an intersection that I walk by at least twice everyday. The shooting was related to gang activity. The mayor stepped up police presence in the downtown area, and it has made a BIG difference. This is something Charlotte should seriously consider. I don't mind paying more taxes if what I get in return is more safety.
To repeat an earlier point, gang activity is on the rise. This has a big effect on the crime rate. Or at least the violent crime rate. Its not looking so good.
But the city on average is decently safe. If you live in a less than desirable neighborhood the response time can be less than stellar. But they are making an effort to change that. Is it good enough? No, not yet. Thankfully there are people concerned enough in their respected neighborhoods. This is one of the few ways to change the situation...
ummm I have lived uptown for years, and can tell you, that in the evenings outside of the "EDU" (that's the entertainment district, which is about all people know of uptown, ahem, the block from the bobcats arena to Brixx, and the like) is VERY unsafe at night. I literally watched a man who was shot die outside the window of my condo.
And oh yeah, in yesterday's observer, in reference to the armed robbery at the uptown dunkin donuts, the article read: "in uptown, where armed robberies almost never occur." Really? Because I went and did a quick reported incidents search on the CMPD website, and within the prestigious fourth ward alone, there were, in fact, TWENTY NINE armed robberies! Looks like someone needs to fact check a little better.
CMPD Crime Mapping Search Tool
I used that link above to do a search for all crimes that took place within a quarter mile of all of the multi-million dollar condos and homes... and you know what? Search from the previous 12 months, from 525 North Poplar Street. It turns up:
385 Larceny from auto
2 Murders
4 Rapes
9 suicides (is banking that stressful?)
over 400+ assaults, including ADW (gun or knife)
and almost 100 auto thefts.
The revolving door of the criminal justice system in this city is to blame. Case in point: would anyone ever claim that Newark, NJ is a safe city? You'd be laughed all the way back across the Mason-Dixon line if you claimed that. But: Newark has fewer than one-half the population of Charlotte, and more than 300 MORE sworn officers than CMPD !!
Wuz Da Neez doing up so early ?
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The crime is Charlotte is petty drive you nuts crime from worms; If your going to get crime we like to see Buildings torched and cars torched and driven into the east rive Charlotte is boring really the same old drive you crazy bank robbery and film at a eleven , we already know who is going to show up on film its the same People as last week; We want Mob style kilings like new york where the guy is in his underwear and tied to chair thats MOB crime and the guy in the chair was a gangster who stole the mobs money.
Something many Charlotteans don't want to hear:
In regard to police presence and response time, a large part of the problem derives from the same old sprawl issues that cause so many other headaches in this city.
In a traditionally-designed city, with a standard street grid and lots of neighborhood connectivity, the police can monitor crime MUCH more efficiently. A squad car in Charlotte spends most of its time on non-residential thoroughfares like Harris Blvd, Independence and Providence Rd... if the officer wants to check out a neighborhood, he has to go in the entrance and wind around side streets with low visibility and no connections. To leave the neighborhood he goes back out that same entrance and gets back on the thoroughfare. If he needs to respond to an incident, he has to waste time fighting traffic and trying to find a connecting street to get him to the scene. As a result it takes more police per capita to keep an area safe, and it's more expensive to fund each officer's needs.
Not to make this an urban/suburban fight like every other thread, but it's pretty well-known that central districts are the safest part of most cities, and that super-dense places like NYC and London are much safer than cities like Charlotte and Atlanta. The main reason is that sprawly cities stifle the ability of the police to prevent and respond to crime.
As poster said previously , it is the court system. Charlotte need to leave the criminals in jail or send them to prison instead of releasing them back to the streets. About the proverty issue, I think some people do not want to work they rather steal what you have.
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I live in Dilworth. Whenever this any type of crime, petty or extreme we get TONS of coverage. Simply because it's a high profile wealthy neighborhood. That's the media for you.
I feel unsafe no matter where I go. The only time I feel safe in Uptown is during the day, and once the weather cools down, there is almost no police presence!
I live in Huntersville and while I 'used" to feel safe here, that becomes less and less each day as crime increases out here in the suburbs.
Charlotte is a dark city - literally! Why are there so few street lights???? Even in the so-called-safer neighborhoods I feel unsafe due to not being able to see where I'm am at night.
When I lived in Chicago, I knew what area's were dangerous and which ones were safe. Here in Charlotte, there are no boundaries. I honestly regret moving here and can't wait to leave. There are plenty of mid-size, modern cities all over the US that offer much more than Charlotte and have a lot less crime.
Leigh, try this one on for size: I know you've gone to eat at a fav little watering hole in the 4th ward, because you've blogged about it. One night a group of friends and I drove there from dilworth to have dinner. As we all piled out of my friends suburu on ninth street to have dinner, we heard a woman screaming. here it is- summer time, broad daylight, not quite 5:30 and a man is chasing a woman with a sledgehammer.
certainly not desirous of jumping in to the fray, we jumped back into the car and my friend immediately dials 911.
coppers arrived very quickly, as the woman was layin on the ground and bleeding. When he was apprehended, he had not only a sledgehammer but a six inch kitchen knife in his pants as well! obviously he knew how he was going to finish her off after he bludgeoned her with the fullsize sledgehammer!
Could have been you or me or our wives or children on the receiving end! meanwhile, those bungalows and single family homes are nine hundred thousands dollar, or more!
I have lived in Charlotte over a year now and do not feel that safe. When I moved here, I was amazed with the hospitality and how beautiful it is here. Then I started watching the news. Carjackings, robbies and homicides is all you see. My car got broken into in the University area and almost again in the South Park area(thankfully I was with someone and saw someone checking out my car, which is not anything worthy to be checking out!)I work in the Uptown area and during the day there is a good sized police presence however most of the time, the policemen are on their cell phones or chatting with the panhandlers(which doesn't seem to solve anything). I lived in Phoenix, where two years ago, we had a sniper and a rapist running around. Needless to say, I did not feel very safe there, mixed in with all the violence there. When I announced I was moving here, everyone warned me about the crime but I thought that was nonsense. In the short time I have been here, I love this city however due to the crime, I do not see myself here in the longrun.
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Note that in almost every story about uptown violence, the criminal is caught quickly. Just a couple of days ago there was a home invasion on 5th St., and before the criminal could even get out the door the cops were outside waiting for him. It's almost impossible to pull off that kind of crime uptown because there is always someone around to notice and report what's happening.
That's what makes uptown safe, and why the suburbs and gradually getting more dangerous. Criminals may be crazy but they aren't stupid... they know that if 100 people can hear a victim scream, and there are cops never more than a couple of blocks away, they are going to get caught. They also know that in most subdivisions they can perpetrate almost any kind of crime without anyone noticing, and chances are that the nearest cop is miles away writing a ticket at a gas station.
This is one of the main reasons why we need to insist on developers being held to stricter zoning standards and being expected to subsidize the infrastructure (including increased police) for new developments. It's a proven fact that low-density cities are dangerous.
Charlotte is going downhill as far as crime goes. I carry a gun everywhere I go now. Anyone that attempts to perpetarte a crime against me will not have to worry about being arrested, just meeting their maker.
According to yesterday's news, Charlotte is the 50th most dangerous city in the nation.
Hmmm... didn't see any breathless headlines about that one. I guess it just sounds sexier when people act like this suburban city is a war zone.
It's a proven fact that low-density cities are dangerous.
Are they low-density because they're dangerous and those who can leave, do, or dangerous because they're low density?
Ive heard criminals have complained about no street lights ; They want to have both hands free from a flashlight so they may carry more goods away.
time for a hand gun ban in charlotte city limits.
I moved back to Chicago as the crime is far worse in Charlotte than Chicago. While I never feared these thugs (one tried to rob me in Uptown during the day), living in the "rich" section, robberies, carjackings, rapes, etc were very high, and they occurred during the day, night, whatever. Don't answer the door? These thugs just break it down even if you are home. Amazing how 20% of a certain population is responsible for 80% of the crimes - where is Al Sharpton? Jesse Jackson? Nowhere....Bill Cosby had it right....
Charlotte was pathetic.
Are they low-density because they're dangerous and those who can leave, do, or dangerous because they're low density?
For the most part, low-density cities are growing (think Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, Orlando, etc.), so I don't think that the problem is population shrinkage.
Fact of the matter is that the cities listed above, and many other sun-belt cities, have developed in a way that encourages crime. When you lack basic community connectivity, you lose the mechanisms that prevent crime. People are less likely to become personally involved in prevention, cops are stretched over a much larger area and can't rely on "eyes on the street" for help, and response time is naturally much longer and less effective.
As attractive as Charlotte is to the eye, it will become a washed-out hellhole if we don't stand up and hold developers accountable for building proper communities. There's a reason that traditional design lasted for several thousand years of civilization; we need to get back to the basic neighborhood concepts that keep communities safe.
I love the credentials Leigh listed and then quoted statistics that are far greater than any national average for each category. Great Journalism!
Many OUT OF STATE Apartment owners have stopped taking criminal checks; Think about how many Thugs , rapists and Terrorists are sitting in jail cells discussing this loophole. No law in Nort Carolina stopping them either.
like a good Neighbor "STATE FARM IS THERE " look bring my Honda back and no questions asked.And have it washed thank you
time for a hand gun ban in charlotte city limits.
Sure, because criminals really give a damn about the rules. And even if they did, they already know they'll be out of jail before the ink is dry on their arrest papers.
What we should do is to require everyone in Charlotte to own a gun. That way, maybe more criminals will end up shot and killed, versus going through our joke of a criminal justice system.
Criminals would have a lot tougher time finding guns if they weren't sold at K-mart.
Since the average citizen doesn't own a gun and certainly doesn't carry one around in public, it could only be to the public advantage to get rid of them altogether. I don't know any gun nuts that I would trust to be the arbiter of law and order in my community.
Kudos to the potential robbery victim at the McDonald's last night who was able to shoot one of the two assailants. If that person hadn't had a gun, they might be dead now.
You have to be able to defend yourself from criminals, because the government sure isn't going to do it for you.
Have lived in and around large cities my whole life and transferred for employment reasons into Charlotte four different times starting in 1990. It has progressively gotten worse each time. The city had so much promise but today I have no idea what the draw is besides the weather. To improve my quality of life, I recently left for good as the city is unsafe and refuses or is unable to be proactive in its response to growth and the nature of the issues that must be addressed to become a quality location in which to raise a family.
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