REPORTS
REPORTS OF ARRESTS. >> ONE OF HARRIS REPORTING WILL NOW TWO AND EXCLUSIVE DEFENDERS
INVESTIGATION FINDING CMPD
OFFICERS ARE FREQUENTLY TIED UP
ON NON-EMERGENCY CALLS INSTEAD
OF FIGHTING CRIME.
IT'S SHEDDING LIGHT ON A
NATIONAL DEBATE OVER HOW POLICE
DEPARTMENTS SHOULD OPERATE.
OUR TEAM REVIEWED CMPD DATA AND
FOUND OFFICERS ARE SPENDING
HUNDREDS OF HOURS ON NOISE
COMPLAINTS FOUND A PROPERTY IN
MINOR ACCIDENTS.
COMMUNITY LEADERS SAY A
DIFFERENT POLICE MODEL WOULD
FREE UP OFFICERS FOR MORE
SERIOUS CRIMES AND COULD BE A
COST SAVING MEASURE FOR
TAXPAYERS.
THAT'S GOT DEFENDER ALEX ABOUT
ASKING WHERE'S THE MONEY?
>> WELL, YOU MAY BE WONDERING
IF POLICE DON'T HANDLE THOSE
CALLS.
WHO WILL?
WELL, ONE OF THE OPTIONS IS
ALREADY AT C+@MPD AND CHANCES AE
YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF THEM.
>> THE CLOCK STARTS AFTER A
NINE ONE ONE CALL COMES IN
POLICE, FIRE OR MEDIC.
>> POLICE ON SCENE.
NINETY FOUR MINUTES FOR AN
ABANDONED VEHICLE.
>> I HAVE A MUTARE IN THE
MIDDLE OF A CEMETERY ALMOST TWO
AND A HALF HOURS FOR A+@ NOISE
COMPLAINT.
>> I CALLED THE MANAGER FOR A
FORMER QUARTER POINT MORE THAN
EIGHT HOURS A FULL WORKDAY FOR
FOUND PROPERTY.
>> WHEN PEOPLE DISCOVER
SOMETHING OUT OF PLACE OR
SUSPICIOUS, GO BACK BEHIND YA.
>> BUT NONE OF THOSE CALLS
+@
SUSPICIOUS, GO BACK BEHIND YA. >> BUT NONE OF THOSE CALLS RESULTED IN AN ARR+@EST OR EVEN
SUSPICIOUS, GO BACK BEHIND YA. >> BUT NONE OF THOSE CALLS RESULTED IN AN ARR+@EST OR EVENA
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
>> AND WE'RE TALKING OFTEN
ABOUT THERE AND WE.
>> IT'S JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE
LONG LIST OF NONEMERGENCY TYING
UP POLICE IN CHARLOTTE.
>> WE ANALYZE CMPD DATA FROM A
SINGLE WEEK AND FOUND OFFICERS
SPENT NEARLY 450 HOURS FOR THE
LOWEST PRI+@ORITY CALLS.
THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 11
OFFICERS WORKING 40 HOUR WEEKS
WITH NO BREAKS.
THAT'S JUST NOT IN TAXPAYERS'
BEST INTERESTS AND IT TIES UP
THE POLICE.
OUR INVESTIGATION COMES AS
CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE
REVIEWING POLICE
RESPONSIBILITIES IN LIGHT OF
CIVIL UNREST.
ROBERT DAWKINS' WITH THE
ADVOCACY GROUP ACTION NC SAYS
CHARLOTTE CAN DO BETTER+@ THIS
DATABASE.+@
>> YOU'VE GOT IT'S GOING TO GO
A LONG WAY TO HELPING US SHOW+@
THAT THE ISSUE OF POLICE REFORM
HIGHLIGHTED IN A NEW REPORT BY
THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF
MAYORS.
IT SAYS CITIES SHOULD BE ASKING
THEMSELVES SEVERAL QUESTIONS
INCLUDING HOW OFTEN POLICE ARE
+@
THEMSELVES SEVERAL QUESTIONS INCLUDING HOW OFTEN POLICE ARE CALLED FOR PROPERTY OFFENSES.
>> GROSVENOR CAUGHT UP IN MY
DRIVEWAY OR DOWN A VAN DURING
THE ONE WEEK PERIOD WE
ANALYZED.
WE FOUND CMPD OFFICERS SPENT
THE MOST TIME ON TRAFFIC
ACCIDENTS AND HIDDEN RUNS
WITHOUT INJURIES.
THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY NOISE
COMPLAINTS FOUND PROPERTY AND
VANDALIZE+@.
I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF LOOKING AT
THAT.
CITY COUNCILMAN MALCOLM GRAHAM
SAYS HE'D LIKE THE CITY TO
CONSIDER OTHER POLICING MODELS
FOR THE FUTURE WHICH COULD FREE
UP OFFICERS TO HANDLE VIOLENT
CRIME.
CHARLOTTE HAS 100 HOMICIDES
THIS YEAR.
+@
CHARLOTTE HAS 100 HOMICIDES THIS YEAR. >> SO WE NEED OUR OFFICERS WHO
ARE REALLY TRYING TO BE
PROACTIVE.
ACCORDING TO THIS U.S. MAYORS
REPORT, CITIES SHOULD ANALYZE
CALLS FOR SERVICE TO DETERMINE
WHO SHOULD BE THE RESPONDER IN
DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCE.
I THINK THAT WE CAN PRICE
SOMEONE ELSE TO RESPOND TO THE
INSHALA CMPD SAYS.
THEY ALREADY HA+@VE 18 NON POLIE
EMPLOYEES CALLED INVESTIGATIVE
TECHNICIANS WHO TAKE A WIDE
VARIETY OF INCIDENT REPORTS BY
PHONE.
>> THERE'S SOMETHING ALREADY IN
PLACE WITH IF WE CAN ADD TO IT.
+@
>> THERE'S SOMETHING ALREADY IN PLACE WITH IF WE CAN ADD TO IT. AND IT ALSO COULD BE A
POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS FOR
TAXPAYERS.
>> THE BASE SALARY FOR A CMPD
OFFICER IS ABOUT FORTY FIVE
THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR
COMPARED TO FORTY ONE THOUSAND
DOLLARS FOR AN INVESTIGATIVE
TECHNICIAN.
>> WE CAN FIND CHEAPER, MORE
EFFECTIVE WAYS OF RESPONDING TO
THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT COMES AS THE CITY COUNCIL IS
MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS FOR
AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF
THE ISSUE.
IN A STATEMENT, CMPD SAYS IN
PART THEY ARE EAGER TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE ASSESSMENT
TO ENSURE THE DEPARTMENT IS
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY AS
EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE.
LIKELY FIND IT.
BUT REALLOCATED.
IF CITY LEADERS AGREE WITH HIM
ABOUT NON-EMERGENCY CALLS THEY
WERE INVOLVED I HEARD.
>> IT'S POSSIBLE THE DAYS OF
POLICE RESPONDING TO THOSE
COULD BE NUMBERED.
>> WHILE I WAS WORKING ON THIS
STORY I WAS WONDERING WHAT RANK
AND FILE POLICE OFFICERS
THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THIS.
>> SO I REACHED OUT TO THE
FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE BUT
THEY DECLINED TO COMMENT FOR
THE STORY.
+@
THEY DECLINED TO COMMENT FOR THE STORY. IN CHARLOTTE ALEX SHABAD
WC NANCY CHARLOTTE AND IF
YOU HAVE A STORY YOU WANT THE
DEFENDERS TO LOOK INTO, EMAIL
THEM AT DEFENDERS AND W.S. AND
SEACOM.
>> YOU CAN