As violent crime rises, city leaders discuss adding more CMPD officers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — City leaders are aware violent crime is rapidly rising in Charlotte so they really want to make an aggressive push with public safety this budget cycle.

City councilmembers spent three hours Wednesday at the Government Center in uptown discussing budget requests for 2018.

At the top of the list is a $6.1 million to hire 62 police officers.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney asked for 125 additional officers last year and the council provided him with 63.

City leaders said they can only provide around 60 officers at a time because that is all police leadership can handle in the training academy.

The city manager said he is working with the chief to find different recruiting techniques so the enrollment pool will be bigger.

City leaders said it is critical to add these positions for Charlotte because the population has grown, crime has risen but for the most part, police staffing has remained the same.

Councilwoman Claire Fallon said now is a critical time for these officers to be hired.

“Bottom line, we need boots on the ground and we don’t have them,” Fallon said. “You saw that when we had the riots, our guys were overwhelmed, overwhelmed.”

City staffers say they will be able to fund the positions without a tax increase

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