CMPD Responds to Recommendations from Community & Police Collaboration
Published on April 09, 2024
Charlotte, N.C. – (Tuesday, April 9, 2024) – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) responded to 17 recommendations today that were made by the Community and Police Collaboration Group across the areas of de-escalation, response to resistance and marijuana use and enforcement. The group was formed in November 2023, following a use-of-force incident on Nov. 13 outside of a Bojangles’ restaurant on S. Tryon Street. The CMPD will implement recommendations including building a separate focus on de-escalation in the department’s Response to Resistance Policy.
“Community collaboration is at the core of our mission,” said CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings. “If we are going to better ourselves and better our agency, we have to work together with community at the head of the table. When I announced the formation of this group, I knew that conversations would bring challenging questions and recommendations, and we welcome that constructive feedback. As we implement some of these changes at CMPD following the conclusion of this group, my hope is that we will see positive changes as we continue to serve the City of Charlotte.”
The Community and Police Collaboration Group is comprised of multiple organizations across Charlotte including the City’s Community Relations Committee, members of the CMPD, the Citizens Review Board, the NAACP, the Latin American Coalition, Clergy members, CMPD Ambassadors, Action NC and the George Floyd Global Memorial. The group met for several months resulting in constructive conversations between the CMPD and a diverse group of community stakeholders.
Specific changes that are being implemented by the CMPD include:
- Creating a dedicated de-escalation addendum to the existing Response to Resistance Policy
- Improving Early Intervention System reporting, including adding aggregated data for the CMPD’s Internal Affairs annual report
- More focus on slowing down police interactions and assessing situations through officer trainings
- Including family members impacted by various situations with police to be incorporated into recruit training
“The Community and Police Collaboration Group has worked diligently to address critical issues and provide actionable recommendations to enhance community-police relations in Charlotte-Mecklenburg,” said Tonya Jameson, group facilitator and Citizens Review Board chairperson. “We remain committed to fostering transparency, trust and positive change within our community.”
A full list of the recommendations and CMPD’s responses are detailed in a report found on the City of Charlotte’s newsroom website.
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The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, www.cmpd.org and www.JoinCMPD.com, is a progressive, technology-driven, metropolitan department that believes strongly in the principles of crime management, community collaboration, professional accountability and employee wellness. The department employs more than 1,900 sworn officers, 500 civilian employees and 500 volunteers. If the public has information about a crime, anonymous tips can be provided to Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or http://charlottecrimestoppers.com.