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Local task force seeks to curb Charlotte's rising homicides

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police and community groups in Charlotte have been working together to curb the city’s rising number of homicides. There have been 85 murders this year, compared to 68 in all of 2016.

On Saturday, reporter DaShawn Brown spoke with a task force about the steps they've taken since May to address the violent trend.

Lucille Puckett is a volunteer with the homicide support group. On Thursday, she rushed to Thomasboro Drive -- the scene of Charlotte’s 85th homicide -- to provide support and to comfort family members.

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Just last year, the support group was there for Puckett when her son Shawn was killed.

“My son feels no more pain,” Puckett said. “But my pain and his family and his friends’ pain lasts an eternity.”

In October, city officials agreed to move forward with a specific group to study Charlotte’s homicide rate, then come up with a plan to address it.

[PAST COVERAGE: Charlotte bringing back homicide task force as murder rate soars]

Since then, the group’s members have met once a month and put out nearly 800 surveys, which ask questions such as, “Why do you think the rate is so high?” and “If you could fix it, what would you do?”

Shaun Corbett, founder of the national movement Cops and Barbers, is among the group’s members.

“We have to give these young kids some kind of hope. Some kind of plan. Something to work towards,” Corbett said. “Because when you don't have anything, it's just so easy to throw it all away.”

Corbett said the focus right now is getting resources to smaller organizations in Charlotte that are already doing the work to offer education, jobs and hope.

“They're out here. Now, we just need to take some of those funds and some of that aid and put it directly into the streets,” Corbett said.

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