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Double Oaks neighborhood gets facelift, reduction in crime

By Tenikka Smith
By Tenikka Smith

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you've driven down Statesville Avenue heading into uptown, you've seen the ongoing transformation of the Double Oaks neighborhood.

A few years ago, the city began the process of redeveloping the area that was a hotbed for crime.

It's now being rebranded as the Brightwalk community.

There was a time when the Double Oaks community in north Charlotte was synonymous with crime.

New Life Fellowship Pastor John P. Kee said there were a lot of robberies, car break-ins, car thefts and shootings in the area when he brought his church to the neighborhood in 1999.

Kee said the church immediately launched outreach programs, worked with police and held events to get guns off the street.

"We approached it head-on.  I actually met with some of those that were doing the crime," said Pastor Kee.

Pastor Kee said for a few years, he saw a noticeable decrease in crime, before it spiked again in the mid-2000s.

Greg McTigue was one of the CMPD officers on the front lines working to stop it. He said the main crime they were seeing was armed robberies.

According to crime statistics, there were 14 armed robberies between July and December of 2004.

Then, in just one weekend in January 2005, there were three armed robberies.

That's compared to just one robbery so far in 2012.

One of the factors in the significant decrease of overall crime was the city's move to redevelop the neighborhood.  The troubled Double Oaks Apartments were torn down and over the last four years, the rebranded Brightwalk community has started to take form.  It's a mixed-use, mixed-income development that, when complete, will consist of apartments, houses, parks, shops and offices.

Officer McTigue said, "I think the community is supporting the new development.  I think they are glad to see it.  I think the true test will be when it finally gets developed then you can compare the numbers back to 2005."

McTigue said he believes even after the community is completed, crime numbers will remain low.

WSOC

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