CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte city leaders may be feeling the pressure to lower crime numbers that have spiked for the first time in six years.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officials released numbers Tuesday for the first three months of the year. Overall, crime is up 6 percent. Violent crime was up by 21 percent and was led by homicide, which was up by 80 percent over last year.
CMPD investigated its 24th homicide of the year Wednesday night which only added to the concerning about the rising numbers.
Police identified the victim as 40-year-old Toby Washington. His wife told Channel 9 her husband was trying to diffuse an argument at St. John's Place apartments off W.T. Harris Boulevard between her and another couple when she said a friend of the couple shot Washington four times.
"If anybody knows my husband, he is not confrontational at all," said Regina Washington. "He and my husband were talking like civilized men and his friend just ran out and pulled the gun."
That shooter still hasn't been found.
Mayor Pro Tem Michael Barnes said city leaders are feeling the pressure to lower the crime numbers.
During previous high crime years, city leaders developed a stronger policing model and paid for new officers, but this year, a massive black budget hole that's $22 million deep is standing in the way of a repeat.
Instead, Barnes said officials may have to get creative to keep the community safe.
"If we have to figure out some way where we have to trim some place to have the resources we need for police protection, we will do that," said Barnes.
After six years of steadily dropping crime numbers, CMPD Chief Rodney Monroe is clearly not happy with the increase. He said Charlotte's growth has strained the department's resources to put more officers on the streets and prevent more crime.
"But we're going to keep fighting. We're going to keep strategizing to find ways to end some of this senseless violence," Monroe said.
Right now, there's no clear pattern telling police and city leaders why there is such a spike in crime.
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