CHARLOTTE, N.C.–From behind the wheel of his car, Shadraq Williams says he watches the crime in his neighborhood. “I’m just an old guy. I’ve been around a long time, and it’s getting worse every day,” Williams said.
Fourteen men were arrested for drug trafficking and gun offenses as part of a roundup organized by CMPD, ATF, and US Marshals today near the intersection of Interstate 85 and Sugar Creek Road. “It’s ridiculous in Charlotte. You’ve got these sorry people sitting on street corners wearing hoodies, doing nothing,” said Williams.
The majority of the suspects were arrested at hotels that investigators say have become high crime hot spots. “We can do sweep after sweep, but we really need to be looking at a longer term solution,” said U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins.
Police are planning to file a series of civil injunctions against some of the hotels here on the I-85/Sugar Creek hotel corridor. “Our goal is not to get a specific number of hotels to shutdown. Our goal is for those hotels that aren’t complying with the rules and restrictions that we have in place, to shut those down,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Capt. Rob Dance. CMPD said it will require some of the hotels to hire full-time security guards and work with them in other ways.
It’s all part of a long term effort that will include a beefed-up presence of police and undercover officers. A requirement Shadraq says is necessary to turn his neighborhood around.
“Absolutely. Drugs are terrible here,” said Williams.
Investigators also seized 10 guns, including two loaded assault rifles as part of today’s sweep.
The majority of the weapons, they say, were stolen out of state and brought to North Carolina.
