Meet the Observer’s public safety team and learn how you can help us investigate
The journalists at The Charlotte Observer who cover public safety and the legal system are tracking our coverage to look for potential flaws and gaps. We’re creating a mission statement that includes avoiding sensationalism, understanding our neighborhoods, and highlighting people who offer solutions and make a difference.
We’re dedicated to fair, truthful reporting for our diverse communities. We report on lack of transparency in government and we will hold decision-makers in power to account.
We keep a scrutinizing eye on law-enforcement. We are working to be cautious about coverage of arrests and incidents without context while focusing on informative reporting about how policing and crime affect people, backed by data.
I’m the Observer’s new public safety editor, and I’m lucky to be able to work with a talented team of friendly people who care about bringing important news to the public. I’ve mostly worked in newsrooms in Virginia and North Carolina, reporting on police and courts, local and state government and large electric monopolies.
Here’s a look at the Observer’s public safety team, how you can reach us and how you can help us report and investigate:
Jeff A. Chamer reports on breaking news and general assignments, and was previously a reporter at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in Massachusetts. In Charlotte, he’s reported on the workings of the state sex-offender registry, a group of people who spewed hate speech during a town meeting, and a county that wanted to remove fluoride from one of its water treatment plants. Email: jchamer@charlotteobserver.com
Julia Coin covers local and federal courts and legal issues after previously working as a breaking news reporter for the Observer. Julia has reported on fentanyl in local schools, the aftermath of police shootings and crime trends in Charlotte. Email: jcoin@charlotteobserver.com
Joe Marusak, who’s worked for the Observer for more than 35 years, covers breaking news and general assignments. Joe is covering the Cherokee marijuana megastore set to open April 20 on tribal land. He reports on development in the Lake Norman area, unexpected lottery wins and much more. Email: jmarusak@charlotteobserver.com
Ryan Oehrli covers public safety and criminal justice for the Observer, and was previously a reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times. His coverage is funded by The Just Trust, a nonprofit that advocates for a humane justice system and reforms to problems in the system. He’s reported on eCourts, North Carolina’s new, online court records and case management system. He’s also written about supervision in county jails and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police meetings that have been kept confidential. Email: roehrli@charlotteobserver.com
As journalists, we hear both praise and criticism.
If you have thoughts on our coverage or issues and people in your community, please reach out to us. If you know of an abuse of power, have a concern about public safety or have information about a law-enforcement officer we want to hear from you.
If you know of a situation in which people are being harmed, please tell us. Our work requires us to listen to all sorts of people, vet information, investigate and shine light on problems so our community can decide if something needs fixing or changing.
Reach public safety editor Patrick Wilson at pwilson@charlotteobserver.com
