Sugar Creek residents, officials discuss solutions to ongoing crime

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – People are sick of crime in a North Charlotte neighborhood. More than 100 people in the Sugar Creek corridor came together to discuss solutions to the ongoing drugs, prostitution and violence on the streets.

Police officers, city officials and county officials sat in front of a group of neighbors and business owners at the Sugaw Creek Recreation Center Wednesday evening.

“We’re excited that so many folks are saying hey enough is enough, we’ve had enough, we’ve waited long enough and we have to have answers right now,” Sugar Creek resident and organizer Charles Robinson said.

Residents say West Sugar Creek Road near Reagan Drive has become a one stop shop for drugs, prostitution, and violent crime heightened by its proximity to interstate 85.

“I actually take the next exit over when I come into the neighborhood and I kind of shake my head every time I do that because I shouldn’t have to do that,” Svenya Nimmons, Sugar Creek Resident said. “That McDonald’s that I used to feel safe at not so much.”

A group of advocates walked down Reagan Drive last week to see the problem up close. The McDonald’s on the corner has bullet holes in the menu.

CMPD says the Sugar Creek corridor is considered a “hot area” for crime and at least a dozen officers are on patrol with the crime reduction team around the clock.

“The mental health causes the drugs. The drugs cause mental health issues, and people prostitute to get the drugs or to survive, to get food, whatever the issue that triangle has to be broken,” Captain Demarco Jeter from CMPD said.

County officials are responsible for public health resources and neighbors say they should take some accountability for the problem.

“If there are people who need housing we can provide housing, if there are people who need mental health services we can provide those. If they need food, clothing and shelter we can provide those issues, but we can’t police,” County Commissioner George Dunlap who represents the area said.

Some advocates were also concerned about the possibility of over policing the community. Rev. Corine Mack from the NAACP Charlotte-Mecklenburg branch suggested creating what’s called a harm free zone where citizens volunteer to watch the area. It would be like a neighborhood watch and volunteers would be trained on conflict resolution and intervention.

“All of us who have complained submit out personal time to ensure that we’re keeping our community safe even if that means being a block captain everybody is doing their part,” Rev. Mack said.

Residents say this has been a problem for almost 10 years and they are tired of getting pushed to the side.

“We don’t want you to just put us on this island and just leave us over there and say it’s going to be fixed,” Robinson said. “We’re not going to wait around and let you do that to us. we need to have collaborative effort.”

Next organizers plan to attend a Mecklenburg County commissioners meeting to ask leaders to come up with a plan to address the public health aspect of this problem. They want to see more resources to target the people who are experiencing mental health issues.