CMPD Officers Flood North Charlotte Friday

Police in north Charlotte hit the streets in full force Friday as part of an operation called All Hands On Deck.

All available patrol officers spent Friday doing neighborhood walk-throughs, following up on cold case files and running traffic safety checkpoints.

In addition to North Division personnel, officers from other Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department units were involved in Friday’s crime prevention effort.

Officers said it’s an effort to address crime problems, like break-ins, that they’ve encountered in the North Division. Friday marks the third time Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have held an All Hands On Deck Day, and they said they have had success with it in the past.

Division Capt. Gregg Collins said the event was not just about fighting crime, but about getting to know community members.

“Officers were very active out in the neighborhoods, stopping cars [and] talking to people,” he said. “It’s not just about trying to apprehend people. It’s also to build some positive contacts.”

On Fridays, there are normally 30 officers on duty, but that numbers almost doubled for All Hands On Deck.

It’s a 24-hour-operation, so an increased police presence will be noticeable in the area through Saturday.