Meck. County agencies attribute long response times to rising crime trends
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — In an emergency, every second counts, and depending on where a person lives in Mecklenburg County, it could take police up to 10 minutes to respond to an emergency.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department is one of four agencies patrolling county jurisdictions that sit outside of Charlotte’s typical patrol area.
Cornelius, Huntersville and Pineville Police also assist by responding to emergencies in what officials call extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJ).
CMPD covers the largest and most populous geographical area in the county. Of the four, it takes the longest for CMPD to respond.
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“Our average response time [of] nine and a half minutes may seem like an eternity if you need the police now and we know that,” CMPD Deputy Chief Dave Robinson said. “We know that there are geographical issues that cause us to do that; just know we’re getting there as quickly as we can to deliver the best service that we can.”
Like the rest of the United States, department leaders are dealing with the increase in youth crime. Data shows violent and property crimes in the CMPD coverage areas outside the city are up 27%. Officials say they use significant resources on teens.
“When our officers are driving juveniles to other counties because we don’t have a place where they can receive resources on a secure custody order, that’s a problem,” Deputy Chief Robinson said. “I know there’s caveats to that but it does impact our ability to be present and respond more quickly when it comes to residents in need.”
Other area departments agreed that they try to focus on a proactive approach to crime rather than just reacting. They say they need cooperation from the courts to improve public safety.
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“We have got to get tougher when they come down [to the detention center] and they get cut loose that’s what every officer is going to tell you,” Huntersville Chief Barry Graham said. “We’re out there arresting people for the same crime year after year then they are back out there.”
Authorities attribute some of the rise in property crime to new developments. They say when builders install appliances in new homes, it’s a challenge to keep thieves away.
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