Advocates calling for change in Sugar Creek corridor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – People who live in the Sugar Creek corridor say they are sick of the prostitution, drugs and violence on Reagan Drive. Dozens of advocates, residents, business owners and clergy met at the corner of West Sugar Creek Road at Reagan Drive for a rally Tuesday afternoon.

“To be honest, listen this is the only McDonald’s that I know you can go in there and get a Big Mac and a ho and I’m sick of it,” Charles Robinson, Community Advocate said. “We cannot keep dealing with this and saying well that’s just Reagan drive.”

A motel on Reagan Drive plays crime deterrent noise but some say it’s not enough. CMPD’s crime mapping tool shows dozens of incidents including drugs, homicide, larceny and more since January.

Advocates walked down Reagan Drive Tuesday to see the problem up close. Ron Zarek owns the McDonald’s on West Sugar Creek Road. There are bullet holes in the menu.

“They are actively doing drugs and ODing in the bathrooms and many other atrocities,” Zarek said. “We need the police and the city to help us fix the problem. My staff cannot do it by themselves.”

Zarek says some businesses close down because of the ongoing crime concerns.

“The Wendy’s shut down less than six months ago because they could not deal with the security related issues, the vandalism, the drug abuse, the 7-Eleven that was just closed two months ago,” Zarek said.

Charlotte City Councilwoman Dante Anderson says the city has invested millions of dollars into the area and shut down some of the motels with high rates of 911 calls.

“We invested in lighting. We invested in a program called Safe Biz CLT, where some of the business owners will allow CMPD to tap into their cameras,” Councilwoman Anderson said.

Anderson says more support is needed to address the root problems.

“It’s clear that they are dealing with some underlying issues, whether it’s mental health or or drug addiction,” Councilwoman Anderson said. “So we need to also make sure that from a county perspective, and then take it even further up to a state perspective, to make sure we are getting the resources to address the problem.”

Community organizers say they want more police, better infrastructure and a liaison to connect them with city, county and state officials.

“We got lights, lights are good because we need to light it up, we got cameras okay they needed cameras, but where’s the action?” Robinson asked.

Advocates are hosting a town hall Tuesday July 29th to talk about solutions to the problems at 6pm at Sugaw Creek Recreation Center.