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‘Not a safe place for my kids.’ Will NYE shooting spur crime solutions in Charlotte?
Charlotte ObserverJan 05, 2024
Charlotte’s leaders are coalescing around a belief that now’s the time to act to stymie a tide of teen crime after a shooting in an uptown park on New Year’s Eve.
But it’s still unclear how city leaders will turn that growing energy into tangible solutions.
A 19-year-old man allegedly fired shots at
The shooting was “horrific” and evidence “of the continued focus we must have on addressing public safety,”
“The trauma inflicted by such incidents is immeasurable and should never be experienced by anyone,” she continued in the statement. “With the rise of youth gun violence as a national concern, it is increasingly clear that creating a safe, gun-violence-free environment is a collective responsibility we all must share within our own community.”
There is consensus more needs to be done to improve public safety, multiple
Will uptown NYE shooting affect events?
Asked about the potential impact of the New Year’s Eve shooting on uptown,
“We remain committed to hosting highly produced, inclusive, safe, community-building events that are powerful assets for quality of life in
But
“It’s not safe like it used to be,” Tsepelis said, referring to the park when events are scheduled there. “It’s not that bad but I don’t want it to get (worse).”
“With a growing city, you know that there are going to be times when this happens. But certainly when people come, particularly into our city from around the region, we want folks to know that they can come for big events and feel safe …” the at-large Democratic council member said. “If they don’t feel comfortable, they won’t come.”
Fellow council member
“We’ll see how this case plays out, but clearly a 19-year-old with a firearm and doing whatever was done there seems dumb at best and absolutely evil at worst,” the District 6 Republican said.
He said, “There aren’t many people anymore left in
The shooting “reaffirms the mentality that most people in
CMPD has reported at least 80 incidents at
In 2023, CMPD responded to four aggravated assaults or robberies — the most serious crimes that have taken place at the park in recent years. That’s up from one in 2021.
Crowds were seen running from the park on July Fourth when a group of juveniles set off illegal fireworks and ran through the crowd wearing masks, causing a panic, the Observer reported at the time. Police ultimately arrested 17 juveniles, cited 15 of their parents or guardians and seized four firearms in connection with the incident and fights, which occurred when tens of thousands were gathered for the Charlotte Knights’ holiday fireworks show at Truist Field.
Overall violent crime was on the decline in
“The rate at which we are seeing juveniles pull the trigger is alarming, and points to a greater community problem,” CMPD Deputy Chief
“Nobody knows how to sit down and communicate ... That’s a lost art form in society,” he said.
Hall believes parents and
“The kids ... their behavior is not that bad. They just get into the wrong crowds looking for love,” he said. “What we need to do as a community is bring back the things that we had:
What can be done to make
The rise in youth crime is part of why Bokhari called for the city to launch a new task force on crime Tuesday.
“The important thing for me on this one is to help light the fire, but make sure it’s an effort in partnership amongst the entire
Bokhari said he’d like to see the task force include a variety of people, including the
The group would dive into crime statistics, especially splitting up youth offenders from adults and looking into repeat offenders. They would also help craft policies, local ordinances and state laws to reduce recidivism and change behaviors.
Whether police, politicians or community members want to talk about public safety,
“Any time people have intentions to fortify public safety and figure out good community strategies, I’m there for it,” Merriweather said. It would be premature to say what work he expects the group to do, he added.
The problems with violence extend beyond what happened in uptown, Graham added. If a task force comes together, he’d like to see faith leaders, business owners, nonprofits and more also involved.
Hall, who works with young people in the
“If you want to speak to a child that’s out here on the streets, you’ve got to have somebody they identify with, that’s not intimidated by the people,” he said. “You’ve got to have somebody who looks like them, that dresses like them, that maybe talks like them to get things going.”
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“As leaders, we must have the courage to address root causes, even when it’s uncomfortable,” she said in a statement. “As a community, we must wrap our arms around those hurting and at risk before they lash out. And as parents, we must model compassion while also teaching accountability.”
Watlington, who chairs the council’s
Watlington said she’s spoken with Bokhari about his proposal and noted there are “a lot of structures already in place” to address what he’s advocating for, including Mecklenburg County’s
And it will take more than just one group or governing body to address the many root issues around crime, including systemic racism, a lack of gun control and gaps in funding for mental health care and public education, Watlington said.
“The issues that impact crime, that impact equity and mobility? They’re not quick fixes. They’re all part of our systems.”
Data is key, expert says
It’s only natural that a New Year’s Eve shooting — out in public, at a park — has created widespread fear, an expert said.
“It makes the whole community feel unsafe because it’s like: Oh my God, it could have been me,” said
If Bokhari’s task force wants to be effective, a data-first approach is key, she said.
“If we can focus on the people most likely to cause that harm — and give them tools and pathways away from that violence, (and) also let them know that they will be held severely accountable if they continue to cause harm — we can take a problem that feels really big and hard to manage and make it a manageable problem,” she said.
The good news:
Police still have a role to play, Cotton said. There’s the obvious, traditional job: enforcing the law. But police can collaborate with others in the criminal justice system, and they can instill trust when they solve cases.
Spokespeople for CMPD did not respond to requests to speak to Police Chief
Observer reporters
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