Community Programs

National Night Out

The next scheduled National Night Out is Tuesday, August 6th 2024.

National Night Out is designed to:

• Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness
• Generate support for crime prevention
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations

Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

National Night Out Registration Form

How do we start our own National Night Out Celebration?

Getting a National Night Out program off the ground is not that difficult. Before beginning, get yourself a notebook. Here, you will record names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of everyone you deal with while planning your event. This will help keep you organized.

Form a NNO Planning Committee:

Even the simplest event requires some planning. The easiest way to get off to a great start is to meet with interested neighbors. You should schedule your first meeting about 8 week before the event. Remember that the NNO celebration is always held the first Tuesday in August.

Some things to discuss at the planning meeting:

• Where will we hold our event?
• How many people should we plan for?
• How will we feed the group (i.e.: cookout, potluck, bring your own, or vendors)?
• What kinds of activities will encourage conversation?
• What type of activities will we have for the children?
• Should we have music (i.e.: DJ, radio, or karaoke)?
• Do we need to block off the street?
• How will we advertise our event?
• Do we have communication issues with any of your residents?

Recruit Volunteers:

NNO works best when community members share the work!

Location for National Night Out:

• First you must find a location for the event.
• The location you choose should be convenient to the residents in the community.
• Your community is unique and your event should reflect that.
• Financial Support / Donations
• Contact local businesses for financial support or donations in your area.

Set Up Activities and Events:

Once you have chosen the activities for your event you should draw a diagram of the area where the event is being held. Pencil in where the activities are going to be held.

Activity ideas for all ages / Event ideas:

• Collect food for donation
• Plan to beautify a common area
• Plan a fall clean-up day
• Start planning another get together
• Don't forget to turn on your porch lights!

Promote, Promote, Promote:

Your hard work will have been wasted if no one shows up. Promote early and promote often. Local newspapers, radio stations, and flyers around town are some ideas to help get the word out. In your community you can use a message board, pass out flyers, use a "calling tree", community website, and community newsletter. Get the kids involved by making posters and yard signs to post within the community.

Getting to know your neighbors:

The use of name tags is a great way to get to know your neighbors. Display photos of past block parties and activities you have held in the community. Create a neighborhood directory which includes name, address, phone number, email address, and special talents/hobbies.

Resource:

National Association of Town Watch

If you would like more information on the National Night Out Program please contact Officer J.E. Frisk by email: jfrisk@cmpd.org

The Neighborhood Watch program is an effective way to get the community involved in crime prevention. As police officers, we cannot be everywhere at once, so we depend on the community to act as our eyes and ears when we are not present. Who knows better, what is going on in the community than the residents that live there?

History of the Neighborhood Watch Program
The National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) started the National Neighborhood Watch Program in 1972. This program was developed in response to requests from Sheriffs and Police Chiefs nationwide wanting a crime prevention program based on citizen participation to help combat burglary.

CMPD and the Neighborhood Watch Program
CMPD adopted the Neighborhood Watch program shortly after its inception. The logo at that time was, "We are a totally involved Crime Prevention Community." The current logo is, "Community Crime Watch" accompanied by the CMPD patch. There are approximately 260 documented active Neighborhood Watch programs in Mecklenburg County.

Neighborhood Watch program is:

1. Residents in the community working with the police department to reduce crime and to improve the quality of life.
2. Residents in the community taking on a leadership role and accepting responsibility for their community.
3. Residents coming together to discuss their concerns which lead to developing a plan of action that addresses those concerns.

Establish a Neighborhood Watch Program(PDF, 141KB)

Neighborhood Watch program is NOT:

1. A vigilante force working outside the normal procedures of law enforcement.
2. A program designed for participants to take personal risks to prevent crime.
3. A 100 percent guarantee that crime will not occur in your neighborhood.

Successful Neighborhood Watch programs:

1. Have strong leadership.
2. Have strong community involvement.
3. Have clear and concise goals which are not always crime prevention.

Responsibilities of Neighborhood Watch members:

1. Chairperson - Liaison between the community and the police department.
2. Block Captains - Facilitates the flow of information between their neighbors and the Chairperson.
3. Residents - Actively observe their surroundings and notify their neighbors and Block Captain when they notice something suspicious.

Neighborhood Watch Chairperson's Packet(PDF, 320KB)

Neighborhood Watch Tools:

• Crime Perception Survey(PDF, 15KB)
• Crime Perception Survey Tabulation Sheet(PDF, 19KB)
• Crime Survey(PDF, 16KB)
• Crime Survey Tabulation Sheet(PDF, 15KB)
• Neighborhood Watch Volunteer Application(PDF, 15KB)

Resources:

• Crime Prevention Information
• CMPD's Citizens Academy
• Neighborhood Development
• American Red Cross
• Citizen Corps

If you would like more information on the Neighborhood Watch Program please contact the Crime Prevention Unit by email crimepreventionunit@cmpd.org.

Description

The Ride-Along Program is designed to allow residents of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County to observe police operations from an internal perspective by riding with on-duty police officers. The program is intended to be an educational tool for participants and is designed to acquaint citizens with the complexities of police work.

Guidelines for Ride-Along Program

1. The participant must be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
2. Ride-Along participants will not be permitted more than two opportunities to ride-along during a year.
3. Ride-Along applications must be fully completed before submission.
4. The applicant should specify the police district where he or she wishes to ride.
5. The applicant should specify a duty shift and approximate date for participation. Shifts are 10 hours long:
   1st shift - 6am start time.
   2nd shift - 1pm start time
   3rd shift - 8pm start
6. Once the form has been completed, submitted and approved, the applicant will be notified of the date, time and shift of the ride-along.
7. Processing takes 10 - 14 days.
8. The applicant must sign a liability release prior to beginning the ride-along.

For participation in the Ride Along Program, please fill out the SeamlessDocs form.

If under 17 years of age, please fill out the parental consent form

We offer a FREE program called How Will I Survive an Active Shooting. This training is a full 2-hour course designed to provide and empower individuals with option-based survival skills to stay alive until law enforcement arrives, and ultimately survive any violent incident. We work with your organization's Emergency Operations Plan. These are skills that translate to a workplace, school, place of worship, shopping mall or any other location in which an active threat can be a danger. This is a high energy presentation with interactions and demonstrations. We do not use hands-on training or surprise scenarios.

Topics to be discussed:

• Lessons Learned from Prior Events
• Evolution of Law Enforcement Response
• Workplace Violence
• Human Response to Stress
• Actions to take if encountered with an active shooting
• Basic First Aid
• How to React When Law Enforcement Arrives

What we require from your organization:

• Allocate the entire 2-hours for training
• A room at your facility to conduct the training
• A projector/monitor with audio
• Minimum attendance of 20 people (no maximum)

To request CMPD to set up a training for your organization, please fill out the SeamlessDocs form to assess your survival plan.

Citizens and Visitors to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County:

The City of Charlotte and its partner agencies developed a Center City Evacuation Plan to guide you, both in planning and actual evacuation of the Center City should the need arise. The plan provides general guidelines for rapid evacuations by vehicle and on foot. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with the plan; then use it to develop a personal plan that you and your family can easily follow in the case of an emergency.

Your safety is our priority and we hope this plan will enhance your preparedness and contribute to a safe evacuation process.

The Plan

The City of Charlotte has developed a plan to evacuate the Center City workforce, residents and visitors in times of emergency. The map located above indicates the four different Wards of the Center City Business District. You should identify the Ward in which you work or live. The following guidelines and concepts define the scope of the evacuation plan: Things that you need to know…

Notification - The Mayor of the City of Charlotte or designee will order an evacuation based on current conditions and recommendations from emergency response personnel. An evacuation would occur only if there is significant and credible information from reliable sources indicating that there is imminent danger from an attack or natural disaster.

What do I do at the time of an emergency evacuation? Above all - Remain Calm. Remember that you have made prearranged plans for you and your family. Obey all instructions from the emergency plan, the Police and Fire emergency personnel. Your first priority is to remove yourself from any danger.

How can I be prepared? Being prepared at the time of an emergency involves knowing where you are supposed to go and how to get there. You should know which direction you will be heading once you leave your building and/or parking location. You can determine this by looking at the center city map and following the color coded grid for your Ward. For vehicular evacuations, be sure to use the evacuation route that corresponds with the location of your vehicle, not your place of work. For pedestrian evacuations, be sure to use the evacuation route that leads you to the closest Pedestrian Hub.

Create a Personal Evacuation Plan(PDF, 550KB)

Your assigned routes of travel are highlighted. All other routes are for emergency vehicles only. In an evacuation, do not use your regular route of travel, unless it is suggested on the map. Normal traffic patterns and routes may be altered depending on the type of emergency. Our evacuation plan is based on the epicenter of the event occurring in the very core of the Center City district. Considering that the emergency could take place anywhere, the predesignated routes should be used for guidance and followed as closely as possible.

Center City Evacuation Route plans

Precautionary Evacuation (Vehicular) When this type of evacuation is ordered, those affected should leave the area by the same mode of transportation in which they traveled into the center city area, unless directed otherwise by Police or Fire personnel.

Only the normal (right) side of the roadway should be used for travel away from the Center City area. The left side of the roadway must be kept clear for responding emergency vehicles. All inbound traffic will be restricted. Traffic will not be permitted to drive cross-town. If there is a power outage, all intersections with traffic lights must be treated as four-way stop signs.

Continue traveling until you are at least one mile away from the Center City area. Do not abandon your vehicle at any time because the traffic is too congested. This will create an unmanageable situation and turn a vehicular evacuation into a pedestrian evacuation without cause. Once you have committed to a travel route, do not change it.

Pedestrian Evacuation A pedestrian evacuation will be ordered, only if a vehicular evacuation is not possible. A direct threat or attack would initiate a pedestrian evacuation.

Predesignated Pedestrian Hubs are clearly indicated on the map. Walk in an orderly fashion to the nearest area hub, following the predesignated routes. Do not create your own area for standing or waiting; keep moving until you come to your designated area.

The Charlotte Trolley line will be unoccupied and available for pedestrians to use for foot access out of the Center City district.

From the Hubs you will be transported to a predesignated shelter for pick up. Remember, it is up to you to develop a family emergency plan.

Special Needs If you have any special needs and require transportation assistance, in either a vehicular evacuation or a pedestrian evacuation, you must make a personal transportation plan for yourself. Do not rely on outside resources that may not be available. Emergency resources will be available on a priority basis only. Please refer to https://www.fema.gov/ for more information.

You should coordinate with your property manager and know what the emergency plans are for your building. If you don't have a plan, work together with the property manager to develop one.

Do not attempt to go against the flow of traffic. Obey the directions of all Police and Fire personnel.

Make a prearranged personal plan for you and your family. Develop a communication system to ensure everyone knows the plan and review it periodically for easy recall.

Create a Family Emergency Plan(PDF, 550KB)

Additional Information and Resources: If you need additional information, you are encouraged to contact your security representative or your Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Community Coordinator at 704-336-7600.

Primary Emergency Broadcast Units

Television

• WBTV (CBS) Channel 3
• WCNC (NBC) Channel 6
• Fox 18 News Channel 18
• WSOC (ABC) Channel 4
• News 14 Carolina Channel 14

Radio

• WBT Radio Frequency 1110AM (99.3FM)
• WFAE Radio Frequency 90.7FM

CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT U-VISA LAW ENFORCEMENT CERTIFICATION REQUEST

The following will set forth the new process by which the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) will review U-Visa petitions submitted by victims or attorneys for victims, of qualifying crimes, in an effort to promote assistance and cooperation with law enforcement.

• Starting on January 1, 2016, CMPD will only accept U-Visa certifications for processing that are within Five (5) years from the date of the offense and when the U-Visa Application is submitted via our website or received at Police Headquarters.
  The following cases are exempt from the Five (5) year time limit: Homicide, Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, and Assault With Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill and/or Inflict Serious Injury.
• Qualifying Crimes: Abduction, Abusive Sexual Contact, Blackmail, Domestic Violence, Extortion, False Imprisonment, Felonious Assault, Female Genital Mutilation, Being Held Hostage, Incest, Involuntary Servitude, Kidnapping, Manslaughter, Murder, Obstruction of Justice, Peonage, Perjury, Prostitution, Rape, Sexual Assault, Sexual Exploitation, Slave Trade, Torture, Trafficking, Witness Tampering, Unlawful Criminal Restraint and any similar activity where the elements of the crime are substantially similar and includes attempt, conspiracy or solicitation to commit any of the above crimes.
• Applicants will receive one of the following replies to their email submissions:
  a. Your petition has been received and is being processed at this time.
  b. We were unable to validate the case based on the report numbers and or information you have provided.
  c. An arrest has been made in this case and your application must be directed to the appropriate prosecuting agency,
  (i.e. Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office)
  d. Your petition was reviewed and is available for pick up at CMPD Headquarters. You will need to sign for the petition before it may be released.
  e. All U-Visa petitions must be processed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Citizenship and
  Immigration Services (USCIS) U-Visa Processing Services within Six (6) months from when CMPD signs the I-918 Supplement B Form.
  f. Failure to comply with this time requirement through no fault of CMPD processing procedures WILL NOT be justification for reprocessing of a I-918 Supplement B Form.
  g. UVisa petitions submitted for recently filed cases will not be accepted for processing if the date of the offense is less than Sixty (60) days from the time of the submission to the U Visa Unit. An email will be generated advising to resubmit the petition after Sixty (60) days from the date of the offense. This will allow time for proper investigation of the criminal case.
• This new procedure will enable our department to streamline the system and allow for a greater accountability of applications. Once the application is received online, it will be recorded, reviewed for validation, processed, approved/disapproved then recorded for distribution back to the applicants. The applicant and/or their representative will then sign for the documents at the CMPD Headquarters, 601 East Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202.
• Applicants may still submit their petitions via mail or in person to CMPD Headquarters however we strongly recommend using the email process as it will expedite the review of the application. If dropping them off in person you will need to come to Police Headquarters during normal business hours. Whether by mail or in person the petition and supporting documentation will need to be placed in an envelope addressed to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, 601 East Trade Street Charlotte, NC 28202, Community Services Bureau, Attention: U-Visa Program.
• Questions regarding the U-Visa review process may be directed to the Community Services Bureau at 704-432-2041

To start the application process, fill out the attached form: https://charlottenc.seamlessdocs.com/f/UVisa_app.

The only form of identification that will be accepted for a petition other than those issued by an agency of the United States Federal, State, or Military will be a current passport issued by the government from the petitioner's original country of origin.

Reaching Out to the Community and Providing Services for Youth and Young Adults

CMPD offers a variety of programs that engage the diverse community we serve. Below is a list of programs:

COPS & Kids: Building on the success of COPS & Barbers, COPS & Kids moves the dialogue into the school system to engage with students in high school. The purpose is to develop more meaningful partner-ships with youth, educate youth about their rights and responsibilities as citizens, demonstrate positive inter-actions with police, address common misconceptions, and dispel common stereotypes. Events have been held in all Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools, reaching thousands of students.

Youth Diversion Program: The CMPD pro-vides diversion opportunities for first time juvenile offenders by providing an alternative to arrest, while maintaining accountability for delinquent acts and providing appropriate supports to redirect behavior. Youth ages 10-17 who commit lower level, misdemeanor offenses participate in up to 8 hours of interpersonal skills workshops designed to address specific areas of concern such as decision-making, risk taking, goal setting, conflict resolution, academic achievement, and substance abuse, as indicated by an assessment tool. Parent/guardians of the referred youth are required to participate in a 2-hour workshop designed to assist them in understanding and redirecting their child's behavior. Participation is voluntary but if the referred youth refuses to participate, the original charges may be filed against them.

REACH OUT (Respect Engage Accountability Character Honesty Officers Understanding Teens): REACH OUT is a collaborative effort of the CMPD, Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, and Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice to provide the necessary services and resources to effectively and positively change the lives of selected youthful offenders. The components of REACH OUT include:

• Youthful Offender, targets 16-21 year old individuals post-arrest and offers life skills pro-grams, interview skills, job placement, and mentoring by law enforcement officers.
• Teen Engagement and Mentorship (TEAM), pairs CMPD officers, trained as mentors, with teens in the communities where they serve. Teens are engaged by officers through voluntary contact at magnet locations for crime.
• Jail North, provides life skills programming while participants are incarcerated and pairs them with

COPS & Kids Learn Spanish: Building on the success of COPS & Barbers, COPS & Kids Learn Spanish builds stronger relationships and better communication between Latino youth and their families and participating division officers. Officers attend language classes taught by the youth for 12 weeks. The program is hosted by area congregations and average 25-30 youth and 15 officers.

Latin Community Outreach: This program pro-motes cooperation between the Latin community residents of Charlotte-Mecklenburg and CMPD by identifying problems, creating strategies, and implementing solutions to benefit a community whose barriers include both language and cultural understanding. Program officers coordinate with the Latino media/press, host a weekly call-in show on the radio, attend community events, and assist detectives with criminal cases.

Citizen Accountability, Rights and Education (CARE): CARE is a one hour follow-up to the COPS and Kids forum, facilitated by School Resource Officers to all ninth grade students. CARE cards, which are distributed to the students, outline the rights and responsibilities of youth and police officers. SROs use the CARE cards to address what to do if the students are stopped for questioning, during a traffic stop, and if an officer comes to their home.

REACH Academy (Respect Engage Accountability Character Honesty): The REACH Academy builds positive relationships between youth and police officers and promotes personal and social responsibility and accountability through leadership opportunities. The CMPD has partnered with several community organizations to provide educational field trips, career readiness, and vocational development classes for participants. Upon graduation, youth may participate in a CMPD mentoring program. REACH is week-long summer program for up to 25 males and 25 females in each session.

Right Moves for Youth: The mission of RMFY is to provide resources and guidance to help students graduate high school with a plan for their future success. Police officers, staff and community volunteers work with students in grades 6-12 weekly in a group mentoring environment that emphasizes education, social-emotional well-being, career development, and civic duty. Groups meet in schools during school hours led by a program staff member with additional involvement of officers, specifically the school SRO. RMFY was co-founded by CMPD officer Dave Scheppegrell.

Active Survival for An Active Shooter: This 2-hour educational seminar is presented to community members to provide tools to help them survive in the in the presence of an active shooter. The seminar is available to businesses, schools, neighborhoods, and congregations. The CMPD has conducted over 200 public seminars, educating over 4,000 community members.

The Envision Academy: The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s (CMPD), Chief Kerr Putney, envisioned a program for youth that would introduce them to the many faces and facets that make-up Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The program exposes participants to the many career possibilities and opportunities in our community while at the same time engaging them with police officers who serve as their mentors. The Envision Academy is supported by generous community supporters which provides participants with a generous scholarship. Participants experience hours of interaction with officers while increasing their community knowledge, exploring issues which affect the community, and creating a platform to envision a better future for themselves and Charlotte.

CMPD and Special Olympics of North Carolina

Every year law enforcement agencies across the country lace up their running shoes, take a deep breath, and set out on a journey of pride and compassion. We call it the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, but the actual running isn't the half of it. There is so much more. And then some…

Special Olympics started in 1968 in Chicago with a range of track and field competitions for people challenged by mental retardation. Since 1968 the competitions have expanded and each state in the U.S. has its own chapter of Special Olympics. Special Olympics of North Carolina has a long tradition of being a model chapter for both its organization and commitment to the athletes and their families. This is due in large part to the earnest effort put forth by law enforcement agencies across the state dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the athletes.