Local

CMPD chief says 25 percent spike in murders in 2017; plans for 2018

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney on Wednesday broke down the city's crime numbers for all of 2017, a year that saw a spike in homicides and other violent crimes.

Charlotte finished the year with 85 homicides, up from 68 in 2016 and the most in more than a decade.

The numbers showed a 5 percent decline in overall crime, but a 25 percent spike in murders.

Putney applauded officers for going above the call of duty by mentoring, tutoring and eating lunch with local children to make an impact on their lives.

“If we heal an individual, if we heal a family, we are fighting crime,” he said.

Putney discussed specific initiatives the department tried last year, and how the department is planning for the year ahead.

Putney talked about a new community empowerment initiative in the Lakewood neighborhood, which offers financial and educational help to families and children before they turn to crime.

Jamall Kinerd, who just moved to the Lakewood neighborhood, signed up to help.

"I think when you expose them to something different than what they do every day, that helps their lives,” Kinerd said.

Putney encouraged other civilians to join in the effort to help fight crime.

[READ MORE: 4 lives in Charlotte lost already to domestic violence in 2018]

The initiative includes help from nonprofits and financial donors. If it succeeds in reducing crime, the department will model it in other areas.

Putney also recognized Officer Casey Shue, who was shot in the leg during an ambush at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department headquarters this month.

She was named officer of the month for making a record number of arrests and taking guns off the streets in the Hidden Valley neighborhood.

[READ MORE: Community shows support as wounded officer released from hospital]

“Casey, please stand and be recognized. Show them what a hero looks like,” Putney said as the room applauded.

Putney said the department is working in specific communities and with local families to drive crime numbers down this year.

One 2017 initiative, Operation Avalanche, involved more officers working on Sugar Creek Road in January to deter violent crime. In April, the department expanded that effort to cover other hot spots of crime activity, such as Sharon Amity Road and Farm Pond Lane.

[CMPD focuses on crime hotspots by expanding 'Operation Avalanche']

The department saw an 86 percent drop in violent crime because of the effort.

In July, officers conducted a prostitution sting. They said prostitution has been a major factor contributing to the violence along Sugar Creek Road near Interstate 85.

Also that month, police started Operation Overlap, which involved doubling the number of officers working overnight along Albemarle Road.

The department has already urged the community to get involved to help stop domestic violence. Four of the five homicides thus far in 2018 have stemmed from the troubling trend.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: