Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Our rising homicide rate and what two of our city’s top law enforcement officials are calling for in order to get a handle on the problem. CMPD Chief Kerr Putney and Mecklenburg DA Spencer Merriweather.
Join Mike Collins for WFAE's next Public Conversation, exploring the reasons behind the city's homicide count and community-based approaches to the problem. Free and open to the public. Details.
Local leaders have been outspoken about Charlotte’s homicide problem. Only halfway through the year, we have already exceeded the number of homicides in all of 2018. CMPD Chief Kerr Putney has called this a "community health issue" and been vocal about asking for the community’s help. To help combat the problem, he has increased foot patrols and police visibility and also reports that arrests and gun seizures are up.
Chief Putney has been critical of the judicial system and sees changes to Mecklenburg County’s bail system and the electronic monitoring program as contributors to the increase in violent crime.
District Attorney Spencer Merriweather points to challenges on the criminal justice side including a lack of resources. He says the system is inadequate for a city the size of Charlotte and a shortage of judges, prosecutors, and a backlog of cases is contributing to the problem.
We sit down with both CMPD Chief Putney and District Attorney Merriweather to talk about decreasing homicides and violent crime from multiple angles.
Guests
Kerr Putney, CMPD Chief
Spencer Merriweather, Mecklenburg County District Attorney
