Crime Prevention is the anticipation of a crime risk and the initiation of an action to reduce it. In order for a crime to occur the criminal must have the ability, desire, and opportunity to commit the crime. There is very little you can do about the ability or desire of a criminal to commit a crime but we can work to eliminate the opportunity.
- Crime Prevention is one of the most important tools in fighting crime.
- Crime prevention is the whole community's responsibility, not just the police.
- Crime Prevention creates a safer and more secure community by developing partnerships between the community and police.
- Crime Prevention takes commitment.
The Crime Prevention Section's role is to be a county-wide resource in furthering the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's mission of building "problem-solving partnerships with our citizens to prevent the next crime and enhance the quality of life throughout our community." We accomplish this by focusing on our unit priorities of providing information and resources needed to implement crime prevention programs and initiatives.
We encourage you to take an active role in making your community safe by familiarizing yourself with some basic crime prevention tips to help minimize your chances of becoming a victim. Be aware of your surroundings and vigilant about your personal safety and security. Remember, it only takes a moment for a dishonest person to seize an opportunity presented to him or her.
How can you help?
- Be alert
- Get to know your neighbors
- Get to know police officers in your area
- Get involved in the Neighborhood Watch Program
- Report suspicious activity – call 911
- Be a good witness - write down suspect and vehicle descriptions
Crime Prevention Unit:
Our function is to examine the pattern of attitudes and behaviors directed both at reducing the threat of crime and enhancing the sense of safety and security, to positively influence the quality of life in our society and help develop environments where crime cannot flourish.
- Plan, develop and evaluate crime prevention programs that not only target crime trends but quality of life and perception of crime issues in the community.
- Develop and deliver crime prevention educational training department wide.
- Remain current on crime prevention issues and trends through continual education
- Facilitate all crime prevention requests to the appropriate departmental divisions and sections
- Development, maintenance and administration of all crime prevention information and resources needed by the department to conduct informative, professional crime prevention programs
Liaisons
They work to build stronger crime prevention partnerships between community groups, other Charlotte-Mecklenburg government agencies and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
- Neighborhood Watch Coordinator
- Charlotte – Mecklenburg Government Center
- Charlotte – Mecklenburg Housing Authority
- Charlotte – Mecklenburg Planning Commission
For additional information call our
Crime Prevention Unit at
704-336-2310 Monday through Friday or you may also reach us through email:
crimepreventionunit@cmpd.org.
As well, download or view online our
Crime Prevention Safety Guide [
English version(PDF, 1MB) |
Spanish version(PDF, 5MB) ]