Crime Statistics Report
CMPD Quarterly Statistical Report
3rd Quarter Statistics
Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, October 19, 2023)
Today, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its 3
rd Quarter Public Safety Report highlighting a continued decrease in violent crime year-to-date in 2023, as the department hits new highs in hiring and recruitment.
Overall, violent crime is down 5% with declines in major categories including homicides (down 19%), robberies (down 11%) and aggravated assaults (down 2%). Reducing violent crime is the CMPD’s and Chief Johnny Jennings’ top priority. The reduction in violent crime reflects the successes of the immense resources and proactive strategies implemented throughout the year as well as the daily hard work of our patrol officers and command staff. Specialized units like the Crime Gun Suppression Team (CGST) and Crime Reduction Units (CRU’s) conduct daily operations to identify and target crime, make arrests, seize illegal weapons and work with our community partners to prevent crime.
For example, this past June, a woman was robbed in her home at gun point during a home invasion. Detectives spent two months analyzing evidence and conducting surveillance before identifying the main suspect and issuing warrants. The Crime Gun Suppression Team identified the suspect as Irvin Velazquez. Upon arrest, CMPD seized 9 firearms, including 1 stolen handgun, as well as a stolen Audi. Velazquez was charged with first degree burglary, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. This case is documented in the incident report numbers: 20230620-0244-01 & 20230829-0954-00.
Sworn and civilian recruitment is also a top priority in 2023, as we continue to meet the needs of a rapidly growing city. While nationwide, police departments are seeing reductions in applications and hiring, the CMPD is getting ready to welcome its largest ever recruit class with 82 initial members of Class 196. Overall hiring within the CMPD has increased by 22% between 2022 & 2023. Total applications have increased by 18% year-to-date.
The gains in hiring will help the CMPD continue to provide excellent and timely service to Charlotte residents. In 2023, citizen-initiated patrol responses have increased by 2%. Proactive ‘zone checks’ are up 4%. Zone checks allow officers to station in specific areas to provide a presence and deter criminal activity.
While overall violent crime has dropped in 2023, shootings have risen slightly by 2% with shootings involving juvenile suspects rising by 32%. One example highlighting the quick work by officers and detectives, occurred after a shooting on St. Johns Church Road in the North Tryon Division. Twenty-five rounds were collected on scene. A victim’s vehicle was fired into from another vehicle with the victim hit by shrapnel. Through the investigation, detectives identified the 17-year-old suspect who fired the shots, along with another 17-year-old suspect who was in the back seat and who had cut off an ankle monitor shortly afterwards. On top of making the arrests, detectives seized two AR-15 assault rifles and a stolen Glock handgun with an extended magazine. This case is documented in the incident report number: 20230923-0202-02.
The rise in shootings involving our youth is disturbing to the CMPD but should also be disturbing to all Charlotte residents. The CMPD cannot simply “arrest its way” out of this issue. The department is dedicated to community-based solutions including providing more than two dozen youth programs through the Community Engagement Division. The CMPD urges families to take advantage of these mentoring programs to encourage and lead our youth along the right path.
Overall crime in 2023 has risen by 11% due to a continued spike in property crime (up 14%) and more specifically due to the rise in auto thefts (up 125%). CMPD division staff, detectives and patrol officers have worked diligently to address the rise in auto thefts. The CMPD has seen a reduction in the rate of vehicle thefts in the third quarter from a 143% increase reported in mid-July. The main contributor to vehicle thefts remains the Hyundai-Kia social media “challenge”. Hyundai and Kia vehicles continue to be targeted at an alarming rate (up 843%) with juveniles committing most of these thefts (70% of total auto theft arrests). The CMPD urges vehicle owners to take precautions including:
- Purchase a steering wheel lock
- Lock your doors and store your valuables
- Park in well-lit areas or areas with surveillance
Steering wheel locks may also be available for free at any CMPD division office, depending on supply.
Last month, the CMPD announced the results of the ongoing Stolen Car and Recovery Law Enforcement Team (SCARLET) Operation to combat a rise in luxury car thefts. The department is proud to announce the latest results of the operation including more than 150 stolen vehicles recovered, 91 firearms seized and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of illegal drugs seized. The successful operation remains active and ongoing around the city of Charlotte.
The following statistical breakdown below provides an overall snapshot of crime (YTD) in 2023 compared to 2022:
- Violent crimes: 5,329 offenses in 2023 compared to 5,579 offenses in 2022.
- Homicides: 69 in 2023 compared to 85 in 2022.
- Rapes: 185 in 2023 compared to 217 in 2022.
- Armed robberies: 995 in 2023 compared to 1,114 in 2022.
- Property crimes: 27,842 offenses in 2023 compared to 24,378 in 2022.
- Residential burglaries: 1,464 in 2023 compared to 1,613 in 2022.
- Commercial burglaries: 1,569 in 2023 compared to 1,610 in 2022.
- Larcenies from automobiles: 8,291 in 2023 compared to 7,812 in 2022.
- Vehicle thefts: 5,824 in 2023 compared to 2,594 in 2022.
- Arsons: 106 in 2023 compared to 118 in 2022.
To review graphics from our 3
rd Quarter Media Briefing:
https://cmpd.pica9.com/cd/boards/show/hash/59f470db-0a65-3be8-47b9-4a818a6077b5
To view the full press conference:
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2nd Quarter Statistics
Charlotte, N.C. – (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)
Today, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its Mid-Year Public Safety Report revealing a continued decrease in violent crime year-to-date (YTD) in 2023, compared to the same time frame in 2022.
The CMPD continues to see a downward trend in violent crime. Overall, violent crime is down 8% with declines in every major category including homicides (down 15%), robberies (down 14%), rape (down 26%), and aggravated assaults (down 5%). The reduction of violent crime is one of the CMPD’s top priorities and the department continues to develop result-driven initiatives within our communities to contribute to this effort including:
- Actively seeking input and engagement from the community
- Employing a strategic approach to resource deployment
- Leveraging advanced crime analysis techniques and technology to monitor crime patterns
Crime Reduction Units (CRU) play a vital role in the CMPD’s work to reduce violent crime. These units work tirelessly to identify and target high-crime areas, conduct surveillance and gather intelligence, make arrests, seize illegal weapons and work with our community partners to prevent crime.
As violent crime continues to decline, property crime, and specifically, auto thefts continue to drive up the overall crime rate.
Between January 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023, overall crime is up 11% in Charlotte. The main driver of this increase continues to be auto thefts. The number of Hyundai/Kia car thefts remain extremely elevated both in Charlotte and nationwide due to a social media challenge targeting these vehicles that emerged in 2022. To date, the CMPD has seen auto thefts increase (+143) compared to the same time period last year.
“In fact, if we exclude auto thefts from the equation, both this year and last, the overall crime rate would actually show a decrease of 0.4%,” said CMPD Deputy Chief Steven Brochu.
The CMPD will continue to address this social media trend through enforcement and education efforts. This year, the CMPD held multiple steering wheel lock giveaway events, handing out thousands of steering wheel locks to Kia and Hyundai vehicle owners. The CMPD also urges residents to follow the following tips to avoid becoming a victim:
- Lock your doors and store your valuables
- Park in well-lit areas or areas with surveillance
- Purchase a steering wheel lock
Juvenile offenders have accounted for the majority (72%) of all arrests for vehicle thefts thus far in 2023. Many of the offenders, some as young as 12 and 13 years old, have been connected to multiple vehicle thefts. The CMPD has also seen stolen vehicles by juveniles used in the commission of other crimes including robberies and shootings. To date, the CMPD has recorded 520 arrests in auto thefts, up 91% in 2023. Of those arrests, 373 were juveniles.
Recruitment remains a top priority for the CMPD. The CMPD Recruiting Division continues to look for ways to engage, attract, and hire quality individuals for sworn positions. To date, the CMPD has seen a 10% increase in applications for sworn positions compared to the same time period last year. The Charlotte City Council adopted it’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget which includes a 10.5% salary increase for officers and sergeants as well as the continuation of a $7,500 hiring bonus.
Additionally, CMPD’s Human Resources Division has had success recruiting equally talented individuals to join the department in non-sworn roles, reporting fewer than 25 vacancies out of the 518 non-sworn positions department wide. For more information about CMPD’s recruitment efforts visit JoinCMPD.com.
Recently, the CMPD has seen several legislative victories that will aid law enforcement efforts to curb both violent crime and dangerous trends on roadways.
On Friday, July 7, 2023, Governor Roy Cooper signed House Bill 813, The Pretrial Integrity Act, into law. The new law goes into effect October 1, 2023. It mandates that judges, not magistrates, set bonds for certain violent offenders who commit one of 18 serious criminal offenses. CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings spent months working with local leaders to advocate for its passage.
Earlier this week, Governor Roy Cooper also signed legislation directly targeting the trend of street takeovers, street racing, and dangerous street stunts. The new bill, Senate Bill 91, goes into effect December 1, 2023 and will increase penalties for participants in this illegal activity. The increased penalties will aid the CMPD’s Transportation Division efforts to crackdown on these meetups. So far in 2023, CMPD’s Transportation Division has made 25 arrests, issued 107 citations, seized 12 firearms and towed 69 vehicles related to this behavior.
On Friday, June 23, 2023, Governor Roy Cooper signed House Bill 140 into law. The purpose of the new law is to lessen the burden on police agencies statewide, allowing cities to employ trained civilian personnel to investigate traffic crashes involving property damage only. The new law went into effect on July 1, 2023 and the CMPD is developing a plan to implement a new Civilian Traffic Investigators program. The Civilian Traffic Investigators will not replace any of the city’s sworn police officers or reduce the number of police officers employed by respective cities.
The following statistical breakdown below provides an overall snapshot of crime (YTD) in 2023 compared to 2022:
- Violent crimes: 3,406 offenses in 2023 compared to 3,689 offenses in 2022.
- Homicides: 45 in 2023 compared to 53 in 2022.
- Rapes: 109 in 2023 compared to 147 in 2022.
- Armed robberies: 631 in 2023 compared to 733 in 2022.
- Property crimes: 17,873 offenses in 2023 compared to 15,475 in 2022.
- Residential burglaries: 934 in 2023 compared to 1,055 in 2022.
- Commercial burglaries: 909 in 2023 compared to 1,068 in 2022.
- Larcenies from automobiles: 5,319 in 2023 compared to 4,807 in 2022.
- Vehicle thefts: 3,717 in 2023 compared to 1,530 in 2022.
- Arsons: 58 in 2023 compared to 77 in 2022.
Graphics from this morning’s media briefing can be found on
CMPD’s Twitter Feed or by
clicking here.
To review the full press conference:
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1st Quarter Statistics
Charlotte, N.C. – (Thursday, April 20, 2023)
Today, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its first quarter public safety report revealing a 6% decrease in violent crime from the same time frame in 2022.
“Reducing violent crime is the top priority for Chief Johnny Jennings and the CMPD,” said Deputy Chief Tonya Arrington. “We attribute the decrease in 2023 to the tireless efforts of our entire CMPD staff and our strong community partnerships.”
Proactive work this quarter resulted in a rise in overall arrests (up 13%) and firearm seizures (up 12%), despite facing a department and nationwide officer shortage.
Other positive trends include a drop in robberies (down 5%), burglaries (down 3%), rapes (down 22%), and aggravated assaults (down 6%). Homicides (up 26%) and property crime (up 10%) both rose through the first 3 months of 2023.
The largest contributor to the rise in overall crime incidents in 2023 has been auto thefts. The CMPD has reported a 99% increase in auto thefts in 2023 compared to the same time frame in 2022.
The spike in auto thefts is traced back to a social media trend, the ‘Kia Challenge’ that originated in the summer of 2022. It gave details on how to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles easily without needing keys. In 2023, Kia and Hyundai thefts have risen by 1,747%. Ninety-five percent of suspects arrested for a Kia and Hyundai theft have been juveniles. Juveniles have also accounted for 62% of all auto theft arrestees.
The CMPD has addressed and will continue to address this trend through increased enforcement and education. Officers have recovered more than half of all stolen vehicles in 2023, and have made nearly 250 auto theft arrests, an increase of 64% from 2022. The CMPD has held a giveaway for steering wheel “club” anti-theft devices for Kia and Hyundai vehicles with another giveaway event scheduled for April 29
th. CMPD’s Public Affairs Office has put out materials on the Kia/Hyundai Challenge with prevention tips to educate vehicle owners.
The CMPD is addressing another trend with increased enforcement. The CMPD’s Transportation Division is reporting arrests, citations, and vehicle seizures linked to “street takeovers”. The trend involves groups of drivers shutting down intersections to perform reckless driving stunts like burnouts, drifting, and doughnuts. Since February, CMPD has made 11 arrests, issued 78 citations, and towed 34 vehicles linked to street takeover incidents. The department will continue to pursue every legal avenue available to hold reckless drivers accountable, including vehicle seizures.
The CMPD is urging parents and caregivers to be active and involved in the children’s lives to help curb the ongoing increase in juvenile crime.
The CMPD offers nearly two dozen community engagement programs aimed at youth development with more than 32,000 participants. Many summer programs will be available in 2023 to provide structure and positive outlets for children. A full list of programs is available on the CMPD website under the Community Involvement tab. The CMPD also has free gun locks available to Charlotte citizens. Contact your neighborhood division office to request one.
The following statistical breakdown below provides an overall snapshot of crime (YTD) in 2023 compared to 2022:
- Violent crimes were 1,629 compared to 1,737 in 2022.
- Homicides were 24 compared to 19 in 2022.
- Rapes were 56 compared to 72 in 2022.
- Armed robberies were 308 compared to 325 in 2022.
- Property crimes were 8,030 compared to 7,289 in 2022.
- Residential burglaries were 404 compared to 465 in 2022.
- Commercial burglaries were 514 compared to 480 in 2022.
- Larcenies from automobiles were 2,306 compared to 2,232 in 2022.
- Vehicle thefts were 1,468 compared to 738 in 2022.
- Arsons were 30 compared to 31 in 2022.
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