Homicides Up 285% in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte is seeing a spike in violent crime with homicides up more than 285% in the first quarter of 2017.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are asking for help from the public and more officers to keep the community safe.
The body of 18-year old Tyshaud Brown was found behind Allenbrook Elementary in Northwest Charlotte Wednesday afternoon. He was shot and killed. The city’s 20th homicide this year.
“I’m not used to it hitting this area, but now I see now,” say Marchelle Stacey, who was picking up her granddaughter from the school. “It’s kind of getting bad.”
Charlotte had just seven homicides this time last year. The year-to-year increase is another blow to a community struggling with increasing violent crime.
RAY MCKINNON SAYS: “We can have 20 deaths in the first quarter of the year,” says Ray McKinnon, pastor at South Tryon UMC. “It becomes routine. And anytime something becomes routine, we stop looking at it. We stop thinking about it.”
CMPD chief Kerr Putney has asked city council for more officers to increase police presence and beef up community policing programs.
“Any time you add police to a jurisdiction, you have an opportunity to provide something to the general public,” says Capt. Cecil Brisbon. “So it goes without question that we would love to add more officers, so that we can help increase some of that community safety.”
The increase in homicides in 2017 negatively impacts the community in many ways. But also leaves leaders scrambling, seeking solutions to curb the violence.
More and more people are settling disputes through deadly means. Community activist Ray McKinnon says teaching other methods for conflict resolution is a must.
“You’ve got constant conflict,” adds McKinnon. “You’ve got constant folks not being able to come to resolutions without violence.”
“For us, I think, it’s a major emphasis on deescalation right now,” says Capt. Brisbon. “Just getting people to understand that some of this comes down to conflict resolution.”
A cycle of poverty, low school performance and hopelessness are leading young people to violence and crime. 7 of the last 8 murder victims are under the age of 28.
“What are we all doing to acknowledge it, and to not allow it to become routine, and then find some real solutions that work on the ground,” says McKinnon. “Everything isn’t going to work, but we’ve got to keep trying.”
CMPD says it has cleared 14 of the 20 homicides this year. One of the open cases is the murder of Anthony Frazier, the 14-year-old middle school student was shot in the head while sitting in his aunt’s car on January 2nd.
The reward for information leading to an arrest in his murder is now up to $20,000.
