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GASTON CO., NC – Crime has no borders and knows no jurisdictions.
For Charlotte and it’s neighbor to the west, fighting crime means working across county lines. “Borders are dropping down more and more, and it requires us to work together,” said Sheriff Alan Cloninger.
Cloninger says blaming Gaston County’s crime on Charlotte’s growth is anything but the truth. Instead, he says CMPD and Gaston County’s law enforcement agencies share resources, respond to scenes together and step in as each other’s reserve SWAT teams. The agencies work together on investigations and wage wars against gangs and drugs along the 85 corridor–together.
“It’s that partnership, that collaborative commitment to each other that makes a difference in solving intercounty crimes and interior county crimes,” said Cloninger.
That teamwork seems to be paying off. Just like in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, overall crime in Gaston County fell close to six percent in 2013.
Aggravated assaults, burglary, and vehicle theft also dropped in both counties. Homicides were flat in Gaston County, but up more than 11 percent in Mecklenburg. Not many criminals are being arrested over the county line. The Gaston County Sheriff’s Office has booked around 15,000 thousand people since January of 2013–only 215 of them lived in Mecklenburg County. For bordering cities like Mount Holly, the Crown Town effect is felt more.
Mount Holly Police Chief Don Roper says his department has seen a 35 percent increase in calls for service since 2012. “That’s a draw on the resources of the police department just because of the sheer numbers of times that our officers will have to respond to a call,” said Roper. Roper says the increase in calls is because more people moving into new neighborhoods. Like the sheriff, Roper also says that working across the borders helps fight more serious crimes. “We’re all working toward the same goal, and if you have that attitude about it, it really benefits both communities,” said Roper.
Showing the crown town effect isn’t all bad. “If we need help, we can depend on each other to come,” said Cloninger.
Although overall crime was down in 2013, Gaston County saw an increase in rapes and robberies, but a 12 percent decrease in drug violations.
