Welcome to Mecklen"BERG" of course your tax dollars are paid in Mecklenburg County.
Outsiders are apparently prone to "typos" even while pushing their vote yes agenda.
They want YOU to fund their endless appetite to build more apartments and shopping centers and add more blight. They need your tax dollars to feed their greed.
Developers have raised 3 million dollars to convince you to support their goal of increasing your sales tax by 13.5% but if they can't spell Mecklenburg, how can they run a transit system already plagued with problems.
Local People are asking you to VOTE AGAINST the Transportation Tax Referendum.
Posted just as they were distributed. No judgment is made or inferred. The actual press conference is at the bottom. - CP
Published on October 15, 2025
CMPD Third Quarter Report: Violent, Property and Overall Crime Decrease as Department Tackles Public Perception
Third quarter report highlights an 8% drop in overall crime and a 20% decline in violent offenses.
Charlotte, N.C. (Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025) – Today, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its third quarter public safety report for January through September 2025, showcasing a substantial decline in crime citywide. The data reveals a notable drop in overall crime, a decrease in violent offenses and continued progress in reducing property-related incidents.
These encouraging trends reflect the department’s commitment to data-driven policing, innovative crime prevention strategies and the unwavering dedication of officers working in close partnership with the community.
Through the first nine months of the year, overall crime has decreased 8% compared to this same time last year. Charlotte experienced a 20% reduction in violent crime, which includes homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults which encompass shootings. Property crime, which includes residential and commercial burglary, auto theft and larceny, is down 5%.
“Patrol officers are the most visible part of our department. They are in our communities building relationships, deterring crime and providing services to our Charlotte residents. Every day, our officers intervene in disputes, stop crimes in progress and prevent violence without it ever making the news. The progress we’re making in reducing violent crime is the result of strong, ongoing teamwork and we remain committed to a safe Charlotte” said Deputy Chief Jackie Bryley.
Overall, the CMPD saw decreases in the following offenses:
Homicides are down 24%
Aggravated assaults are down 19%
Robberies are down 22%
Proactive measures such as officer-initiated efforts and firearm seizures are up significantly through the first half of the year:
Officer-initiated efforts are up 18%
Firearm seizures are up 25%
Arrests are up 15%
Data alone cannot capture the real impact crime has on victims and their families. While overall and violent crime have both declined significantly, if you are the victim of a crime or know someone who has been victimized, it can shape your perception of safety in Charlotte.
To tackle public perception while addressing areas of opportunity, CMPD recently launched our Entertainment District Unit (EDU) and the CROWN Culture Initiative. The EDU is a specialized, high-visibility proactive policing unit focused on making Uptown and South End nightlife safer. The CROWN Culture Initiative (otherwise known as Center City’s Restoration of Order, Wellness, and Nonviolence) is a focused, high-impact effort through elevated police presence, strict enforcement, and close collaboration with our community partners. The goal with both initiatives is to restore public confidence, reduce crime and reinforce safe, livable streets.
In addition to these focused initiatives, the strategic deployment of Crime Reduction Units (CRUs) in the four patrol service areas is supporting long-term crime reduction. These units work tirelessly to identify and target high-crime areas, reducing victimization and creating a safer community. Previously operating as division-specific teams, CRUs were reorganized on July 5, 2025, as service area-level units for stronger resource deployment.
Since July 2025, CRUs have assisted in 1,256 traffic stops and 450 arrests, seizing 282 firearms and approximately 36,530 grams (over 80 pounds) of narcotics across all 13 divisions.
Despite the encouraging progress in the first nine months of 2025 in reducing overall crime, repeat offenders continue to inflate crime stats and victimization numbers across the city, negatively contributing to the perception of public safety.
“We continue to see a troubling pattern: a disproportionate number of violent incidents and property crimes are being committed by individuals with extensive criminal histories—many of whom continue to cycle through the justice system without facing meaningful consequences,” said Sergeant Todd Martin of the Southeast Service Area Crime Reduction Unit. “The cycle of catch and release does not reduce crime in our community.”
Inconsistent accountability for repeat offenders—both adults and juveniles—undermines community safety and places an undue burden on victims, neighborhoods and law enforcement resources. Public safety remains a community-wide effort.
Individuals can take simple precautions like locking their vehicles, securing valuables and removing firearms from vehicles. Residents and visitors are encouraged to report suspicious activity by calling 911 or sharing information anonymously calling Charlotte Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600, using the Charlotte Crime Stoppers P3 Tips Mobile App or by visiting the Charlotte Crime Stoppers website.
Residents and businesses can play a crucial role in reducing and solving crime by participating in the Connect Charlotte program. Residents can confidentially register their security cameras through the program’s secure online portal—enhancing neighborhood awareness and contributing to a stronger, citywide safety network. Businesses can integrate their security systems to enhance safety, improve response times and support investigations.
The CMPD’s 2025 Third Quarter Public Safety Report statistics follow national standards set by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) summary statistics.
The following statistical breakdown provides a snapshot of crime through the Third Quarter of 2025 compared to the Third Quarter of 2024.
Violent crimes: 4,506 offenses in 2025 compared to 5,622 offenses in 2024.
Homicides: 62 in 2025 compared to 82 in 2024.
Aggravated assaults: 3,494 in 2025 compared to 4,311 in 2024.
Rapes: 127 in 2025 compared to 183 in 2024.
Robberies: 821 in 2025 compared to 1046 in 2024.
Property crimes: 26,522 offenses in 2025 compared to 27,974 in 2024.
Residential burglaries: 1,239 in 2025 compared to 1,322 in 2024.
Commercial burglaries: 1,824 in 2025 compared to 1,751 in 2024.
Larcenies from automobiles: 7,716 in 2025 compared to 7,697 in 2024.
Vehicle thefts: 4,627 in 2025 compared to 5,850 in 2024.
In the 1990's when the City of Charlotte promoted the 2020 transportation plan, everything looked good on paper. The Providence Road, Johnston Road and South Tryon Corridors were heading towards gridlock and everyone knew it. 485 was new and everyone thought this is nirvana but planner knew the joy would be short lived.
Today 485 spends much of the day at a crawl. But as with the never ending I-77 nightmare Charlotte City Council is totally impotent to fix the problems. The South County Connector plan was developed in late 1999 as the answer but it is a failure because someone didn't tell the developer of Lantower Waverly not to put an apartment tower in the middle of Ardrey Kell Road. Right now you are asking what is the "South County Connector"?
The once proposed road has gone by many names, SMCC, Southern Connector and so on.
But at one time the idea behind the limited access parkway style road was to allow traffic to flow along the southern end of Mecklenburg County unimpeded.
Studies had shown the 485 traffic would quickly become unmanageable as local residents known as "two mile users" or hop on hop off traffic, would use 485 to move from one main artery to another which would substantially add to the traffic volume and because of the short use increases the "merge delay" thereby hampering the flow of a normal interstate highway.
The section from Providence to Tom Short was required of developers of Providence Country Club prior to zoning approval in the early 90's.
The idea was to connect 521 to 74 via a low speed two lane parkway with limited neighborhood access and retail development. In the beginning it was a good idea.
Except the goal posts kept moving. Today Ardery Kell is a crazy mix of highway types curb and gutter styles and sight distances. It is void of city street lights and barely navigable at Marvin Road thanks to a retail development built on the sidewalk. The road is burdened by Ardery Kell High School where a school zone speed limit is in effect 6 hours each day. Now we are adding a Junior High to add to the madness.
Which translates in to AK having somewhat limited use compared to nearby Pineville - Matthews Road.
But the final "coup de gras" took place at Waverly where the developer Childress Klein apparently didn't get the memo.
Ardrey Kell today dead ends at a roundabout just after crossing Providence Road
Childress Klein decided a "grand round-a-bout" would be the perfect landscape addition to their Lantower Project.
Meanwhile Plute built as directed their section of Ardery Kell and with the help of NCDOT added another "grand round-a-bout" at Tilly Morris. The only trouble is the two roads don't connect.
Plute built Ardrey Kell Road to Tilly Morris.
The State of North Carolina completed this elaborate roundabout in 2023.
Oops?
This is what happens when democrats run city/county govco. But back in 2016 the South County Connector project was the talk of Charlotte From The Charlotte Business Journal:
PulteGroup Inc. (NYSE: PHM) has closed on at least a part of its purchase to develop single-family homes on Tilley Morris Road. The homebuilder recently acquired 38.5 acres from Marsh Realty Corp. for $4.3 million, according to the Mecklenburg County property deed. The transaction closed July 15.
Documents — including a grading permit application and pre-construction materials — filed with the City of Charlotte indicate Pulte seeks to build up to 100 single-family homes in a development called Castleford, previously called Kellmoor, on the acquired site. A Pulte spokeswoman confirmed its plans for the site on Friday. The project is one of several announced or underway along the Interstate 485 interchange near Providence Road. Castleford is adjacent to Crescent Communities’ Providence Farm project, expected to break ground soon. That development will add 404 residential units, an 80-unit for-sale community with single-family homes and townhouses, up to 30,000 square feet of retail, and a 180-room hotel. Pulte’s Castleford project is anticipated to help advance the extension of Ardrey Kell Road to Tilley Morris Road and add a roundabout, methods aimed to alleviate traffic volume as a result of the area’s growth. Ardrey Kell runs through Waverly, a 90-acre mixed-use development by Childress Klein Properties and Crosland Southeast under construction off Providence Road.
Cedar's Take: The problem is road construction contingent on development vs development contingent on road construction.
Well managed cities have zoning that is permanent and they build roads to accommodate future development. Charlotte's endless rezoning is insane.
See Dallas and Denver as examples of the right way to deal with zoning and road construction. Yes it costs money to build 4 lane limited access roads to no where and wait for developers to build projects to help recover the costs but the end result is worth the wait. By using developers to complete highway and street infrastructure projects taxpayers are at the mercy of developers and the economic whims of the housing and retail markets. It also gives developers the upper hand in forcing re-zoning. Which is what killed East Charlotte and Steele Creek. Both are now over run with crime and apartments. Retail is all but dead in East Charlotte and Albemarle Road looks more like Wilkinson Blvd everyday. In a worse case example of government incompetence you end up with Ardrey Kell at Waverly and the nightmare that is Providence Road at 485.
The Mecklenburg County Proposed Transit 1% Sales Tax Increase
Goal
•To reduce traffic congestion
The North Carolina State Legislature
•The only reason the PAVE act became law is because the NC legislature thought it was a great idea to pass the cost of transportation needs from the state to local municipalities
Zoning
•Biggest drive to congestion is re-zoning
•Charlotte is 2nd in the nations in building apartments
•These are being built in over crowned areas
•Need to better control/target re-zoning
oFocus on zoning approvals for low-income housing
oFocus on zoning approvals for less populated areas
oCut back re-zoning approvals for over populated areas
CATS Proposal
•Solving Traffic Congestions – THE BIG QUESTION
oIs the CATS proposal going to reduce significantly traffic congestion???
•Roads
oNC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) does most of the major road projects in the state
oNot enough money via the proposed 1% sales tax increase to open up roads
oVery few major road projects proposed by city planners/CATS
oTouting bike lanes, sidewalks, more stop light – none of which will reduce traffic congestion
oOpening up roads is critical to reducing traffic congestion
•Rail
oOnly one project committed to – Red line
oWill take many years to complete
oSignificant risk of cost escalation and over run
oNo light rail to Matthews although this was the number two (2) desire on a consumer survey conducted by CATS
oSilver line West CATS light rail station will be located one (1) mile from the airport. Totally unclear how people are going to get from the light rail terminal into the airport terminal. A logistic night mare
oCost overruns on the Red Line will kill expansion on other rail projects. Many cities with similar ambitions have run short of money and had to cut back &/or stop work
•Busing
oRunning half empty. Declining ridership
oNo data supporting that increasing route frequency will lead to increase ridership.
oIncreasing route frequency will add significant cost
oMicrotransit will put more vehicles on the road. If expanded CATS will have to add additional vehicles, escalating costs resulting in fare increases
•Guard Rails On Spending
oNo project vetting or approvals required
oMoney can be spent any way the municipalities see fit
•Displacement
oNo clear safeguard in place for residential displacement
oLow-income people are the ones most impacted by transportation build out
•Safety
oFour (4) CATS transportation related homicides in the past three (3) years.
oShould we be thinking about expansion when there are legitimate concerns about safety on the existing system
Taking Money Out Of the Economy
•Proposed additional tax money will take money out of consumers pocket and not be spent on other things.
•Negative effect on local economy
The Financial Pinch
•Middle class and low-income families are being killed by increase in everyday living cost.
•Do they want to pay more taxes???
Bottom Line
•Is a proposed 1% transit tax increase going to solve traffic congestion?
oProbably Not
oAs Pat McCrory, former major and father of Charlotte light rail, said – “we built a light rail line and still have traffic congestion”
Anyone with a basic understanding of business would recognize that correct pricing in retail is the difference between success and failure.
Up to date income and balance sheet information is critical.
Sales numbers and COGS values are imperative.
CATS doesn't have the numbers to know how bad things are. Staff can't answer how many paying vs non paying riders they have daily. Staff can only say how much total revenue they take in. But they do not know how many riders they have except via estimates. They need to fix that.
But they won't because CATS management has zero profit goals or incentives, and they are oblivious as to how to price their product.
They simply rely on "all the other cities price this way" guidance.
The old saying in the restaurant business is "If you want your 3 star restaurant to become a 5 star restaurant just raise your prices".
First the $2.20 one way fare is too low. Immediately increase the fare by 25% and in doing so the Blue Line won't lose 25% of their customer base and even if they do, they will be taking in the same amount of money with 25% less wear and tear.
Fewer passenger same revenue equals success!
Taking the Blue Line to and from work Uptown currently costs me $4.40 a day and if I buy a week pass it will cost me $22.00
There is absolutely zero savings if I pay in advance, the only value is not paying each time I use the train and trying to work the insane kiosk with my back turned to passersby.
Who thought this was a good idea?
The pricing inherently encourages cheating.
Who is going to buy a ticket when it's raining and there is a line?
Solution
Discount a pre-paid 10 ride pass to $17.00 and that $5.00 savings is not chicken scratch to most people.
It ends up being slightly better than a 20% discount and you don't have to buy the ticket but one time at the start of your work week.
This discount and ease of use encourages voluntary compliance.
Under the current monthly price of $88.00 you save absolutely zero each month. What the hello?
CATS Staff will argue "but you get unlimited rides" which is great if you work every day and don't take vacation or holidays off or are "unhoused" and you have nothing better to do.
Remember we want to encourage voluntary compliance.
Monthly plan needs to be $65.00 again to encourage compliance.
The pass is good all month long and it is auto renewed drafted monthly 5 days in advance.
Seniors
Currently seniors 62 and older are 1/2 price. What the heck? Seniors take up more space more slower and are a higher to carry risk. Senior discount no more than 5% just like "my" Harris Teeter. Ditto with ADA-Disabled.
Kids
Kids under 16 are free period and must be with an adult.
Kids 16 and older pay the full adult prices.
They are not our target market and frankly they are a big risk.
Scanning
All trains should be subject to ticket checking via hand held scanners. Those who are noncompliant are not only booted off the train but arrested. Let the real cops deal with it.
If you are found without a valid pass or ticket more than once you are trespassed and subject to arrest if you are found on a train ever again.. Yes a lifetime ban.
Have all trains randomly run a scroll that says "Ticket Verification in Progress Please Have Your Ticket or Pass Ready" this runs randomly whether or not staff is available to scan tickets and passes.
Again to encourage voluntary compliance.
Cleaning
Clean up the trains. Trash is everywhere no wants to ride in a garbage can. Passengers who litter are banned from CATS for life.
If you listen to the entire 40+ minute press conference. It is clear the "roll out" wasn't about safety enhancements but rather an over the top pitch for the sales tax increase referendum.
These fine folks are trying really hard to get your vote to pass the additional 1% sales tax burden and they act like they are doing you a favor.
They want to increase your sales tax by 13.4% in Mecklenburg County.
They make excuses for the lack of public safety, discounting it to perception and national news media coverage.
Davidson Mayor Rusty Knox says he's never felt unsafe on the Lynx Blue Line or the Express Bus from Davidson and that he rides frequently.
Rusty, Iryna didn't feel unsafe either.
His comment: "The murder of Iryna Zarutska was spontaneous and probably unpreventable."
This is disgusting and a shocking comment for any elected official to make.
Iryna's murder was was neither spontaneous or unpreventable.
As Vice Chair of the MTC his thinking is just one more reason to vote NO on the 13% sales tax increase to fund mass transit.
Today Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, CATS Director Brent Cagle and the Charlotte City Manager were to hold a press conference on Light Rail Security Upgrades following the murder of Iryna Zarutska.
Then late yesterday the North Carolina State Auditor released a draft report on the auditor's findings.
Within minutes the Mayor's meeting was postponed.
Basically the report suggests that CATS security is poorly managed and lacks direction. Costs are out of control and security is at best questionable.
North Carolina Office of the State Auditor Highlights.
While the CATS’s security contract value has increased from $5.9 million in 2022 to $18.4 million in 2025, the number of armed security has decreased by at least 40% over that time.
Throughout Charlotte’s solicitation for private security firms for the CATS, the Charlotte Business Inclusion (CBI) program had direct influence on contract requirements.
During a CBI Advisory Committee meeting, members were encouraged “to listen to the Republican argument” in support of HB 171, “An Act Eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives in State and Local Government,” so they could “be prepared to counter it.”
State Auditor Dave Boliek says when CATS conducted an RFP in 2022 for unarmed security services, the RFP was targeted only to businesses registered with CBI - the Charlotte Business Inclusion Program.
Professional Security Services got the contract for unarmed services.
The city had a contract with Strategic Security Services for armed security. The city terminated it because the firm "did not perform up to CATS' expectations." After the termination, the contract with PSS was amended to add armed security.
CATS says PSS "has met contract requirements and continues to provide satisfactory services."
Boliek says the 2018 contract with G4S Secure Solutions had the number of armed security personnel provided for the CATS between approximately 68 and 88. A review of the current contract with PSS, and confirmation from the City of Charlotte this month, has the armed security figure at 39
In response to Boliek, Mayor Vi Lyles wrote a letter saying his report alleges PSS is not qualified "but fails to offer specific evidence to support this conclusion."
She says President Donald Trump hired PSS during his first campaign to be a security provider at his events in the Carolinas.
Read the full NC Auditor's Preliminary Special Report here:
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