New Unit to Reduce Patrol Time Spent on Minor Crashes
Published on December 11, 2024
Charlotte, N.C. – (Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024) – The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department announced the launch of the new Civilian Crash Investigation Unit (CCI), which will respond to minor motor vehicle crashes that do not involve injuries. The unit is comprised of civilians who were trained by sworn officers and received certification through the North Carolina Justice Academy.
“Minor crashes accounted for an astonishing 71% of all crash reports our sworn officers completed per year over the past three years,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings. “Civilian Crash Investigators (CCIs) will reduce the number of times patrol officers must respond to non-injury crashes while decreasing the wait times for people involved in each incident. They will reduce the burden on patrol officers and enhance the level of service we provide to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community, and we welcome this additional assistance.”
- In 2022, CMPD officers wrote 29,994 crash reports for minor crashes resulting in 41,678 service hours.
- In 2023, officers wrote 29,715 reports for minor crashes resulting in 40,324 service hours.
- So far, in 2024, officers have written 25,973 reports for minor crashes resulting in 35,301 service hours.
CCI Description and Responsibilities:
- Respond to minor crashes and complete reports for crashes without injuries.
- Assist with disabled vehicles and traffic control.
- Uniforms are high-visibility and do not resemble police uniforms.
- Drive white Ford F-150 Lightning and Hybrid pickup trucks with amber lights and marked with the unit’s name.
- Outfitted with body-worn cameras (BWC) and subject to all rules for operation and maintenance as sworn officers.
- Call for backup in suspected cases of DWI, illegal contraband, hit-and-runs, lack of insurance, suspended licenses, injury crashes and other suspected violations.
The training component of the Civilian Crash Investigation Unit was a six-week program. It included two weeks of classroom instruction followed by four weeks of field training. Fifteen CCI candidates completed training and received their state certification.
House Bill 140, signed into law by Gov. Roy Cooper on June 23, 2023, authorized the use of civilian investigators for minor car crashes involving property damage only. This new law took effect on July 1, 2023. North Carolina cities including Wilmington, Greensboro and Burlington have implemented similar programs.
The CMPD plans to expand the CCI unit following this initial launch pending budget approval for the FY26 budget proposal.
For more information about the program including educational videos and frequently asked questions, download the MyCMPD app and click the resources about the Civilian Crash Investigation Unit.
For more information about the program download the MyCMPD app and view an overview video here and a crash simulation video, here.
A list of frequently asked questions and answers can be downloaded here: Civilian Crash Investigations FAQ(PDF, 314KB) .
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