Crime & Justice

Homicides and assaults are down, but property crimes are up in Charlotte

WFAE | By Kenneth Lee Jr.

Published October 19, 2023 at 1:45 PM EDT

Overall crime in Charlotte is up 11% due to a recent spike in property crime, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said Thursday.

Total property crimes are up 14%, driven largely by a huge increase in auto thefts, up 125%. However, violent crime in 2023 has seen a 5% decrease this year across major categories:

Homicides: Down 19%
Robberies: Down 11%
Aggravated Assaults: Down 2%

CMPD is reporting a 19% decrease in homicides through the 3rd quarter. There have been 69 homicides this year versus 85 in 2022. Our Divisions & Patrol Bureau continue to do a great job of directing officers to priority areas & delivering clear results in reducing violent crime. pic.twitter.com/1VcgsLvcc6
— CMPD News (@CMPD) October 19, 2023

During Thursday’s press conference, CMPD also said arrests have been on the rise compared to 2022, with 11,634 so far this year compared to 10,327 last year. The driving factor is the number of juvenile arrests. For example, in 2023, 582 of 838 auto theft arrests were juvenile suspects.

“We’re still feeling the effects of the Kia/Hyundai Challenge that was introduced in the summer of 2022,” CMPD Major Torri Tellis said.

Both Kia and Hyundai remain the main target of auto thefts for juvenile suspects. So far in 2023, there have been 3,752 total thefts of both makes, which is an 842% increase. In 2022, only 398 were stolen.

“We again call parents, guardians and caretakers to take an active role. Know what your child is doing at all times, monitor their activities on social media and online.”

CMPD recently launched operation “SCARLET” which has yielded 150 vehicles recovered, 91 firearms seized and 85 completed search warrants this year.

A total breakdown of quarter three crimes from CMPD’s press release:

Violent crimes: 5,329 offenses in 2023 compared to 5,579 offenses in 2022.