Successes
In FY01, the City achieved the following:
- Reduced
crime rates in five of the eight Part One offense categories: homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and vehicle theft. Overall crime decreased 9.7%. Violent crime decreased 10.1%
- Piloted a robbery-reduction program among the Latino/Hispanic community at Park Apartments that led to elimination of robberies at the apartment complex.
- Cleared 30% of arson cases and reduced the arson loss rate by 46% from $10.13 per capita in FY00 to $5.47 per capita in FY01.
- Targeted specific crime "hot spots" - areas with persistent crime problems - in each of the 12 Police patrol districts. Eight of the districts saw crime decreases ranging from 8.4% to 56.7%.
- Restructured Police organization and redrew patrol district boundaries to more effectively support community problem - oriented policing.
- Created an International Relations Unit within Police aimed at working more closely with Charlotte's growing international community.
- Concentrated drug enforcement efforts on known open-air drug markets: Belmont, Nations Ford Road/Arrowood Road corridor, Sunrise Grocery on Remount Road, Bahama Apartments, Grier Heights, Gladedale, Club Rendezvous on N. Tryon Street and in uptown dance clubs.
- Reduced drug-related homicides, with only two in calendar year 2000, compared to five in 1999 and 14 in 1998.
- Enlisted 10 new middle schools in
graffiti-prevention programming.
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Challenges for the Future:
The City continues to face a number of challenges in these areas, including:
- Responding to the growing number of robberies involving Latino/Hispanic victims. Reporting of these crimes increased 61%, indicating a growing trust of Police among the Latino community.
- continuing to educate citizens on community problem oriented policing.
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Crime Rate Comparison
(numbers are crimes per 100,000 population)
Crime
|
1998
|
1999*
|
2000#
|
% change^
|
Homicide
|
11.0
|
13.7
|
12.0
|
-13.0%
|
Rape
|
55.0
|
43.4
|
48.5
|
+11.8%
|
Robbery
|
402.0
|
411.8
|
422.7
|
+2.7%
|
Aggravated Assault
|
978.0
|
863.0
|
714.7
|
-17.2%
|
Burglary
|
1,796.0
|
1,687.4
|
1,530.4
|
-9.3%
|
Larceny
|
4,910.0
|
4,926.9
|
4,431.0
|
-10.1%
|
Auto Theft
|
657.0
|
792.6
|
727.3
|
-8.2%
|
Arson
|
45.0
|
47.0
|
49.9
|
+6.3%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Violent Crime
|
1,446.9
|
1331.9
|
1,197.8
|
-10.1%
|
Total Property Crime
|
7,409.2
|
7,453.9
|
6,738.6
|
-9.6%
|
Total Overall Crime
|
8,856.1
|
8,785.8
|
7,936.5
|
-9.7%
|
|
|
|
|
|
* estimated population 611,251 # estimated population 627,144 ^ % change from 1999 to 2000
|
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