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Union County has hired extra prosecuters and it has saved them money by getting more people out of jail either by finding them innocent or finding them guilty and passing them on to the state prisons. Charlotte could do the same thing. I doubt more prosecuters would help the police arrest people though, unless they are not arresting people because they don't have a place to hold them?
That's kind of complicated, and others here probably can explain in better detail - but basically, it's all about state law. The mayor is not allowed to do what I wish he could BY LAW. But I do love the image of him adopting a Jersey attitude and telling the legislature to "kiss off", LOL! Seriously, this whole issue is why he is currently deciding whether to run for governor.
Maybe if he gets elected governor, Charlotte would have a better chance of getting its "fair share". It seems to me that too much money flows out of Charlotte and not enough flows in. Raleigh has a "heavy hand" and I'm sure that that there are more than several NC equivalents of those "bridges to nowhere" going to the three "bubbas" in Eastern Carolina.
I don't mind the 3 hour drive to the beach. I don't like the beach (yea, I know, pretty weird to live in Florida and NOT like the beach - LOL). I'm looking for real trees (not Palm) and greenery, suburbs, and streets with side walks.
Charlotte looks like that to me.
Sure Charlotte from the outside looking in looks promising. However, you cannot truly know a city until you live there for a while. THERE IS A LOT OF CRIME HERE. I used to live in Boyton Beach and visited the surrounding areas over there and crime here is so much worse then there. Also if there is one thing that you should take into consideration is the fact that there are state income taxes here, which you are not paying in FL. I certainly wonder where all this income tax goes since our police department is so under staffed and cannot keep up with the crime.
I think that you could end up buying Ft Knox thinking you'd be safe from crime and you could still end up having your gold swiped. Indeed, crime is everywhere and living in a "swankier neighborhood" will not ensure that crime will never happen - just a lower probability of its occurrance.
That being said, I think Charlotte is in better shape than most people realize! I believe that if you watch the local news every night you might think that crime is reaching epidemic proportions but I don't think that is really the case. I used to live 17 miles outside of NYC and the local news was so taken up by so many big events -e.g. - The President was coming to town, big goings on at the U.N. the garbagemen were going on strike etc, that if 50 people were mugged in NYC that day it wouldn't even rise to any level of notice on the local news. So few big events happen in Charlotte, that the proportion of air time taken up by a given crime seems to magnify crime as a whole. If Charlotte had a lot more national events in its local news, the number of crime stories would decrease. Even the weather occupies a bigger slice of air time than it did in NY. For instance, if you had on the TV tonight, reports of bad weather in the mountains flashed across the screen and if you were giving it scant attention, you might at first think a blizzard was fast approaching Charlotte. The Charlotte metro region is vast. Boone is farther away from Charlotte than Philadelphia is from New York City. The colored weather area in the Observer denoting the Charlotte Metro Area is bigger than the whole state of NJ! Crime in Charlotte is serious but considering the whole picture, not as bad as people may be led to believe!
YOU CANNOT COMPARE CHARLOTTE TO NYC. NYC IS MUCH BIGGER THEN THE ACTUAL CITY OF CHARLOTTE. ALSO, YOU CANNOT JUDGE CRIME HERE BY WHAT YOU SEE OR DON'T SEE ON THE NEWS FOR THAT MATTER. THE REPORTED CRIME, THAT IS JUST WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO HEAR ABOUT. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER REAL CRIMES THAT GO UNREPORTED TO THE MEDIA BUT IS POSTED TO THE CMPD WEBSITE :
1/2/2008 6:11:59 AMSTEELE CREEK11300 FOX COVE DR SUSPICIOUS PERSON/PROWLER
police keep up with the crime but who they take to jail today is probably let out on bond tomorrow...and then their cases are continued, continued and so on....complain to your elected officials..I mean look at the circus surrounding the sheriff situation!! yeesh! read the crime in charlotte and check out some of arrest histories!!
Do you realize how BIG the Steele Creek area is??? Maybe that is why you don't see police all the time. It isn't as condensed as other areas.
Yes, I realize that the Steele Creek area is somwhat big, however, we have lived in bigger towns before with way less crime and better police departments. The size of this area has nothing to do with the crime that continues b/c it is allowed to continue. It is one thing to not see police officers patrolling, a totally different story to have them not even show up when dispatched or to take 20 minutes to arrive when your house alarm goes off in the middle of the night. Unacceptable by any standards!
I don't feel unsafe in Charlotte either. Like Sunnykayak said, I feel safer now then back in 1995, Charlotte had like almost 130 murders, 2006 it was about 83, 2007 in the 70's. So murders have come down.
Just don't watch the news or read the paper and you will be OK!
Where has crime not increased in a city the size of Charlotte or larger?
The 1st murderer of 2008 in Charlotte had only been out of jail 3 days. How is that for our justice system?
Yes, I realize that the Steele Creek area is somwhat big, however, we have lived in bigger towns before with way less crime and better police departments. The size of this area has nothing to do with the crime that continues b/c it is allowed to continue. It is one thing to not see police officers patrolling, a totally different story to have them not even show up when dispatched or to take 20 minutes to arrive when your house alarm goes off in the middle of the night. Unacceptable by any standards!
. . . cause I am probably gonna get flamed for saying this. But here goes.
Seems to me the recent comments on this thread have all had to do w/ home break ins and car theft. Car theft is not common in all areas of the city. So let's get that one out of the way.
As for break-ins and home invasions . . . that is what concerns me, too. However, I gotta tell you, there is some personal responsibility that goes w/ this issue. No matter how safe your neighborhood or how much you paid for your home, take some personal responsibility.
Keep your garage doors shut. Keep your house locked. Keep your windows locked. Have an alarm system. Put in a sensor that detects shattering glass. Get a watch dog. Form a neighborhood watch. Find out who is at home during the day, and make sure everyone around you knows each other's schedules, what cars are owned by residents . . . so it is easy to spot suspicious vehicles.
And get a gun. Plain and simple. Southerners don't typically talk about this as we are stereotyped as gun-toting nutballs anyway. But there is a reason Southerners have always had an affinity for guns. Many of us grew up and have lived as adults in rural or semi-rural areas. The Sheriff had no way to get to our residences for extended periods of time. If someone attempted a break-in - we really had no recourse but to take matters into our own hands. We knew we could not depend on the police to rush to our defense, as we were outside city limits, no police service, and unless a patrolling Sheriff's Deputy just happened to be nearby . . . we knew it was going to take 30 or more minutes to get help.
The nature of crime in all cities seems to be evolving. Break-ins are more blatant, and criminals are willing to target the upscale areas b/c the anticipated haul of electronics and jewelry is perceived to be more lucrative a pursuit. So living in a nice, upscale home may actually be an attraction to criminals. Makes sense to me!!!!
The rest of you can wring your hands and wait on the police department if that is where your comfort level is. I suspect if you have a discussion w/ any of the natives who grew up in this area, you will find they all own guns and learned at a young age how to handle them. I am not saying it is the Wild West here in Charlotte. I think crime here is about like most metro areas this size. However, if someone crosses my threshold, they are gonna get blasted. Plain and simple. DH was an officer in the military and I started target practice at 12, as did our sons.
I am not advocating vigilanteeism (sp?) but I am saying . . . if you want to protect your home, then you need to take the steps to do it (alarm, safety practices) . . . and learn how to safely use a firearm. You can't go out and start shooting if you see a criminal messing w/ your neighbor's property, but you can sound your own alarm - and call CMPD . . . and hope for the best.
At your own home . . . have good insurance, make sure you have taken pictures or your valuables, have records of your serial numbers . . . and be ready to use a firearm if someone dares to invade your home while you are there. Plain and simple.
If you are not comfortable w/ response times from your PD, then get a grip, literally, and be ready to take care of your own family and home.
Location: Wherever it is, I am sure it is cosmopolitan
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I totally agree with this. The majority of break ins I have seen in the last 2 decades are open garages, unlocked doors, etc.
Also, why do all you people seem to think that the police are responsible for your personal safety? Police in any city are reactive, not proactive. Even if you don't have a neighborhood watch organized, be your OWN neighborhood watch. Talk to your neighbors. Pay attention to what the heck is going on around you and start dialogue about it with your neighbors. Your proactivity will spark action in others. Also, call the cops if you see anything suspicious. Often people wait until too late to call the police. If you want them to stop crime, you need to help by calling if you see anything at all-- even kids walking the neighborhood past curfew-- ANYTHING.
I have reinforced my doors with sleeves you can buy for two bucks at Lowes that go in your door locks to make kicking in the door too difficult for the average thug. I am always watching when I hear the engine of an unfamiliar car parking on the street or voices of people walking in the neighborhood.
Take precautions and get involved. That's what we can all do to help our corner of the world be more safe.
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I have on my asbestos suit . . .
