CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte City Council will approve a major contract Monday night to make the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s headquarters in uptown safer for staff and guests.
There would be almost a million dollars in security upgrades if the contract is approved.
Among the upgrades would be a renovation of the entire front lobby of the 2,800-square-foot headquarters, including a new customer service counter and waiting room. The security upgrades would also include new bulletproof doors and windows.
Currently, guests can only get into the Police Department by paging an officer at the front door.
Sylvia Cano goes to the police headquarters regularly to get reports for her job.
She knows that once she is buzzed in through the front door, there isn't much security at all.
"Once you're in there it is wide open. Yes, I would agree with that," she said.
Officers working the podium are fully exposed and although there are security cameras in the ceiling, people can walk in without going through a metal detector.
It has been that way since January 2018, when a murder suspect ambushed a group of officers outside the CMPD headquarters.
Body camera video showed police quickly reacting to the gunman who started shooting at them and hit Officer Casey Shue, who recovered.
Police shot and killed the man just feet from one of our photographers covering the search for the suspect that night.
The Fraternal Order of Police believes tougher security is long overdue.
"When you have right across the street the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center, they have metal detectors, they have things in place, but our own police department doesn't have that," said FOP spokesman Chris Kopp.
If City Council approves the contract, the project would start right away and be completed by the end of the year.
City Council will also approve spending $9.5 million to build a new police station along North Tryon Street near W.T. Harris at the meeting. The new station will be 16,000 square feet and construction is expected to be completed by late next year. CMPD is currently leasing a building across the street.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- 'Humiliating': NC man arrested in own home after alarm triggers accidentally
- New safety measures in place as CMS students prepare to head back to school
- Hilton Head residents: Go-kart track tacky like Myrtle Beach
- FORECAST: Break from heat, humidity as students head back to school
- Man charged with 20-year-old's murder near uptown Charlotte, officials say
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
