What is the real crime story in Charlotte ? (Huntersville, Washington: taxes, to live)

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by ncisgreat

Can someone please tell me where there is a mid-sized to large US city with zero crime?

I think the property crime needs to be addressed in Charlotte, but there really is not a lot of violent crime here at all, especially the ranom variety.

I'll tell you one thing-- even if I lived somewhere in quiet Idaho I'd still stay aware of my surroundings, my neighborhood, and lock my doors. It's called personal responsibility. I can't change how some thugs may choose to act, but I can choose how I act and react in response.


Honey, I worked in journalism for 6 years and am a newshound. No one knows more about local news on this thread than me. The difference is I understand that journalism = entertainment and ratings these days and "if it bleeds it leads." You seem to not understand this and it is skewing your view of Charlotte.
There were days we would not cover anything but crime in 7 surrounding counties and really hype it up, especially during the book in Nov or Feb.

You need to calm down, take a breath and a step back, and readjust your reality because you are doing yourself a diservice. This is a great place to live and you will miss out on it because you insist on portraying it as a mini-Lebanon.

Oh I see the reality and if you don't then I can't make you see it. I guess all of the calls and break ins and assaults that are posted on the CMPD site and don't make it to the news are all lies right, come on. The difference is I am not looking at this area with rose colored glasses on.

[ncisgreat]

Hon, you don't get it. I have already said that property crime is a problem.
I have also said, as have others, that you need to GET INVOLVED. I know everything that happens around me and in my neighborhood. If someone tried to break in, we'd all stop it because we are paying attention.

There is very little RANDOM violent crime. This includes very very few random assaults. Are you into drugs? Gangs? Gun trade? Domestic issues and conflicts? No?? Then chances are that assaults won't happen to you.

You are freaking out about nothing. You need to get involved, and again-- take a breath and realize that you are blowing this whole thing out of proportion.

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Thanks for the light-hearted approach here . . . I got a chuckle. However, you illustrate exactly what I was saying. There is some personal responsibility w/ protecting your home, family (and yes - even the workplace) from crime.

Before moving here, I lived in very low crime area. My DH and I had to leave our home for several months - on assignment in another State. We had an excellent Neighborhood Watch program.

One nite around midnite, one of my neighbors took his dog out for a walk. He noticed a van pulled up to the basement entrance to our home. He shouted at the intruders, ran inside his home, called the cops, then turned on all his flood lights and went outside. He saw the van backing out.

We had motion activated lights at that entrance of the house (installed into existing fixture). When my neighbor checked them, the bulbs had been unscrewed. Sometime earlier (during the day) someone must have deliberately unscrewed them. So this was a very planned attempted break-in. We also had an alarm on in the house, but evidently the would-be burglars did not care or had not noticed (we had stickers on the window - at our present home, we have plainly posted signs in our yard).

My point is - this break-in was foiled b/c of the actions of our neighbor. Perhaps they would have left just hearing the alarm siren. We will never know.

So the closest we have come to a break-in was in a very low crime neighborhood, not here in CLT. And it was the actions of a neighbor that staved off that break-in. We all have to pay attention and look out for each other, regardless of where we live. Crime can happen anywhere. Statistics just do not tell the whole story.

Good Points! I think the best thing for our friend to do is to start a Neighborhood Crime Watch and get to know her neighbors. Many others in her area may feel the same way. Become pro-active! She shouldn't let herself become a "shrinking Violet" but change her attitude to become a "Clintina Eastwood" in her thinking. The "Make My Day" attitude will beat the "Oh My Day is Ruined" attitude any day of the week!

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by nkjaws

Oh I see the reality and if you don't then I can't make you see it. I guess all of the calls and break ins and assaults that are posted on the CMPD site and don't make it to the news are all lies right, come on. The difference is I am not looking at this area with rose colored glasses on.

NKJaws: It is obvious you are very concerned about your neighborhood and what has occurred there. If I perceived that crime was taking place in my neighborhood, I would be very concerned as well. I hope what I have written has not given the impression that I am dismissing your concerns. Feeling safe is part of living a good quality of life.

I am wondering if you are mis-interpreting the log book on the CMPD website. A domestic dispute, for example, can be logged as "terroristic threats," or "physical assault" or "making threats" etc.

When I first moved into a new house, I mistook the meter reader for a criminal and called the PD and it was logged as "suspicious intruder." I was embarrassed, but OH WELL.

My point is - if you are forming your opinions based mostly on CMPD logs, then perhaps you are not getting the real picture. Now, I totally understand the incident about your DH trying to get help when he saw a crime taking place and no one responded. That would be rather mystifying to me. Did you check the logs for that day and see how they logged in your call?

As to NCisGreat's assertion that "if it bleeds, it leads," I am a former newspaper editor and I can assure you, what he has said is true.

I don't even subscribe to the Observer - only get the WSJ. That is how I feel about the print media here. I get my news online and rarely watch the local TV news, either, as it is way too sensational for my appetite.

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by ncisgreat

Hon, you don't get it. I have already said that property crime is a problem.
I have also said, as have others, that you need to GET INVOLVED. I know everything that happens around me and in my neighborhood. If someone tried to break in, we'd all stop it because we are paying attention.

There is very little RANDOM violent crime. This includes very very few random assaults. Are you into drugs? Gangs? Gun trade? Domestic issues and conflicts? No?? Then chances are that assaults won't happen to you.

You are freaking out about nothing. You need to get involved, and again-- take a breath and realize that you are blowing this whole thing out of proportion.

The last time I checked, you do not live in my neighborhood so how would you have the slightest clue. We do all of the things you have suggested, we are highly involved, we are constantly on the look out. Guess what, even with all of that there is still crime here. Why you ask, well because it has gone on for so long and NOTHING has been done about it that the criminals know that they can get away with it. YOu can have an opinion that I am going overboard but that is YOUR OPINION!!! I feel that crime is a big problem in my communtiy and it is people like you who down play it.

[ncisgreat]

I don't have to live in your neighborhood to know that if you really want to do something about crime, you can. If I was in your neighborhood, don't think for one second that we would not organize sidewalk roving watch in shifts, notify the local media of what we are doing, and send a message that crime will not be tolerated. Again, unless you are on West Boulevard, I am having a hard time believing (with 22 years Charlotte experience) that you have more than some break ins going on. If that's it, then your neighborhood can get it under control. Other neighborhoods have done it. I am not minimizing break ins at all, I am just saying that getting groups of neighbors together and really protecting what is yours can be done. I would love to see that because thugs committing property crime really stink-- and a lot of them are teens. My point is you can do something about it.

You should stay involved, even knock it up a notch, and not let some incidents ruin your life. Good luck--

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by nkjaws

The last time I checked, you do not live in my neighborhood so how would you have the slightest clue. We do all of the things you have suggested, we are highly involved, we are constantly on the look out. Guess what, even with all of that there is still crime here. Why you ask, well because it has gone on for so long and NOTHING has been done about it that the criminals know that they can get away with it. YOu can have an opinion that I am going overboard but that is YOUR OPINION!!! I feel that crime is a big problem in my communtiy and it is people like you who down play it.

Looking at a police log may give you an "exaggerated" sense of the level of crime in your neighborhood. I live in Monroe and read the "Friends of Union County" section of the paper twice a week when it's published. The back pages always list the crime log of the last few days. Monroe and Stallings crimes are separated from the rest of Union County. Glancing at it casually, one might conclude that Monroe is a "hotbed" of crime. However, when you strip away the "suspicious person" and "suspicious vehicle" listings, very little remains! Hell, under those definitions about half of my relatives could qualify under the "suspicious persons" category! You might think I look very "suspicious" myself, while I'm taking a few drags of a cigarette on my front porch!

[carolina_guy]

Originally Posted by nkjaws

The last time I checked, you do not live in my neighborhood so how would you have the slightest clue. We do all of the things you have suggested, we are highly involved, we are constantly on the look out. Guess what, even with all of that there is still crime here. Why you ask, well because it has gone on for so long and NOTHING has been done about it that the criminals know that they can get away with it. YOu can have an opinion that I am going overboard but that is YOUR OPINION!!! I feel that crime is a big problem in my communtiy and it is people like you who down play it.

I just have two points to make:

1) I would not live in Steele Creek although many on here say some parts are safe. Steele Creek is HARDLY representative of Charlotte area crime and merely denotes areas of Charlotte that are more crime ridden than others. Like I've said before, I live in a virtually 0 crime area and sleep very peacefully at night.

2)Why don't you move to a safer area of Charlotte or the surrounding areas? 300k will go a long ways in Huntersville and the Lake Norman area as well as parts of Union County and Fort Mill/Rock Hill. Why continue to make yourself miserable in Steele Creek when it is hit so much with crime? Only you can make the decision to improve your quality of life. Quit bashing all of Charlotte because you choose to live in the area you do. The way I see it, you didn't do the proper research or else you wouldn't have ended up in Steele Creek.

[SunnyKayak]

Moderator log:
Just bookmarking reviewed posts in this thread. Just ignore this.

I really appreciate how each of you have remain civil in your discussion.
It is appreciated.

[TheEmissary]

Originally Posted by SunnyKayak

Moderator log:
Just bookmarking reviewed posts in this thread. Just ignore this.

I really appreciate how each of you have remain civil in your discussion.
It is appreciated.

Well, if you have a good moderator setting the tone for civil discussions, it's easy. I think the whole purpose of forum is to inform and discuss the issues at hand. Give yourself a pat on the back - it's well deserved!