CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Members of Charlotte's Asian community plan on e-mailing new Charlotte-Mecklenburg police Chief Rodney Monroe this weekend to try to persuade him to keep the department's specialized international relations unit together.

"A lot of people have a language barrier and a cultural barrier, so they don't know who to turn to," said business owner Tin Nguyen.

"Right now, if anything happens, people can call the international relations unit and they'll be here or they can assist the people."

The unit was formed in 2000 and consists of a sergeant and six detectives.

Since its inception, the goal of the specialized unit has been to build relationships with the different ethnic groups in Mecklenburg County.

Chief Monroe has declined our repeated requests to discuss the future of CMPD's international relations unit.