By Victoria Cherrie
The Charlotte Observer
For more information on finding police grants, please visit PoliceGrantsHelp.com.
CHARLOTTE — As angry and frustrated residents confront the Charlotte City Council on Monday about rising crime and problems with the state’s criminal justice system, the city manager will recommend a $2.5 million plan of attack.
Curt Walton is proposing the council approve funding to increase the number of electronic monitoring devices for repeat offenders, add technology and staff in the district attorney’s office and add positions in the Police Department’s crime lab and 911 center.
Some of his suggestions, outlined in a mass e-mail Saturday to subscribers of city updates, are part of the 2009 budget he’ll present to the City Council May 5. The e-mail said his proposal includes costs that are not normally the city’s responsibility but the expenses would be a good investment for Charlotte.
It’s unclear yet how the city would pay for all of Walton’s recommendations. But some money is available from savings in the current year’s budget and the sale of city property.
The plan comes as Charlotte-Mecklenburg police last week announced that for the first three months of 2008, violent crime leapt 15.3 percent and property crime grew 11.9 percent compared with the same period in 2007. And the number of violent crimes and property crimes both jumped about 11 percent in March from February.
The surge in crimes being felt citywide prompted some residents to form a group called Neighbors for a Safer Charlotte to get city leaders’ attention.
Clyde Nelson, who is an adviser to the group, hadn’t seen Walton’s proposal but said it’s a start.
“Charlotte has a huge crime problem, and it’s not going to get solved overnight,” he said.
On Saturday, at-large city councilman Edwin Peacock III sent a letter to the Observer addressed to residents that said: “Thank you for Getting Angry.” He highlighted steps for dealing with their concerns, which include leaders admitting Charlotte-Mecklenburg has a problem and residents organizing more neighborhood watch programs.
But even as discussions on how to solve Charlotte’s crime problems continued, it was another deadly weekend.
Jeffrey Williams, 27, died after being shot outside a small two-story apartment complex on Wildwood Avenue in northwest Charlotte. Neighbors said they were at a cookout and suddenly heard about 20 to 30 shots ring out. The gunfire also injured Dany Accor, 43, and Thomas Vinson, 30. Accor was treated and released from a hospital. Vinson was in stable condition Saturday, police said.
Police have not released a motive or said whether they have any suspects.
One of Williams’ relatives said Saturday that he “was just in the wrong place at the wrong time” when a masked gunman opened fire over an argument about drugs that had nothing to do with him, the relative said.
In east Charlotte just before 2 a.m. Saturday, police found 26-year-old Isaias Rivera Lopez lying next to a Ford pickup parked outside a shopping center on Albemarle Road. He had been shot several times and later died from his injuries, police said. No more details were released.
The death marks the city’s 23rd homicide this year, compared with 24 at the same time last year.
At Monday’s meeting, the Police Department plans to explain to residents and the City Council some of its tactics for battling property crimes.
Walton said his recommendations are made to complement, not replace, law enforcement. A major struggle for police, he said is that many crimes are committed by repeat offenders. Until there are increased options for prosecuting, incarcerating or at least monitoring the behavior of this targeted group of offenders, CMPD’s efforts will be minimized, he said.
Proposed spending to fight crime
Charlotte City Manager Curt Walton is proposing:
— $1 million for new computer technology for the district attorney and trial court administrator.
— $250,000 to buy 100 more electronic monitors.
— $375,000 for two additional assistant district attorneys, three additional clerical and secretarial positions and office equipment to help address property crime cases.
— $456,000 for five operators and three supervisors to address the increased workload in the 911 communications center.
— $435,000 for five positions in the Police Department’s crime lab to address a backlog of fingerprints and DNA analysis.
Copyright 2008 The Charlotte Observer