Police, DA notifying defendants that CMPD radar guns were calibrated by uncertified technicians

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police say that radar and LiDAR guns used to catch speeders have for years been calibrated by technicians who didn’t have the proper certification.

Police are required to annually calibrate and certify the speed guns they use, and under state law the technicians who do so must have the proper certification. City officials say they recently discovered that some of their technicians don’t and that supervisors who also don’t have the proper certification signed off on some calibration tests.

Now, the Mecklenburg district attorney is informing defendants’ lawyers about the problem. That could affect years of speeding citations. The DA’s office says it’s assessing speeding cases to determine which can still move forward without evidence from radar guns, and cases might be dismissed as a result.

Even though city of Charlotte officials say they still believe the devices were properly calibrated, Reenie Askew, the city’s chief information officer, said the certification problem stretches back for more than a decade.

"We must hold ourselves accountable to the fact that we did not adhere to the state requirements. We believe this issue started as an incorrect interpretation of the requirements back in 2008 and has become a standard practice," she said of radar guns. The LiDAR guns, which also measure speed using a slightly different technology, have been certified by the city since 2018.

CMPD was alerted to the issue in October, when a technician raised questions about the city's certification process.

Askew said 170 out of the police department’s 230 speed-checking devices were affected, and officers were told to stop using the equipment on Feb. 9. The city is working to recalibrate the devices by certified technicians, a process it expects to complete by March 1. Disciplinary actions could follow.

In a statement, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings said officers have other tools to judge vehicles’ speed.

"It is important to note CMPD officers are trained to determine the speed of an object based upon the visual observation of the object as well as pacing and that radar detectors corroborate the opinion of trained officers," Jennings said. "Radar detectors are a tool for traffic enforcement and are not required for officers to issue speeding citations."

He also said the city is still investigating the issue, and it’s too early to say what legal or financial ramifications Charlotte could face.