The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has launched a new public safety initiative aimed at curbing rising violence in and around Uptown.
The effort, called Operation Safe Season, will significantly increase police presence and enforcement over the next several weekends. CMPD says the multi-agency operation will focus initially on Uptown, with plans to expand into other areas experiencing repeated violence and criminal activity.
Overall crime in Charlotte is down 9% compared with this time last year — including a 20% drop in violent crime and a 6% decrease in property crime. But CMPD’s Central Division, which includes much of Uptown, has seen violent crime rise 15% over the same period. The area has recorded 10 homicides so far in 2025, up from four at this point in 2024.
Police say the operation is intended to deter violence during a historically busy time of year and provide additional resources to neighborhoods seeing the greatest spikes in crime.
