While some areas in North Carolina saw a decline in crime rates for 2012, other areas saw an increase of fewer than three percent, fueled by an increase in robberies and aggravated assaults. The Charlotte police department reported that there were 1,798 robberies in 2012 compared to 1,612 in 2011.
While this news is sobering, there was a 9.1 percent decrease in burglaries. These statistics covered The Freedom Division, which includes more than 46 square miles and covers a portion of west Charlotte, including the Freedom Drive corridor and several older neighborhoods.
According to the police captain that covers this area, he said that historically the area has been more violent and the amount of violence has changed. The captain believes that the decrease is due in part to the focus on crime prevention and specialized units that watch crime patterns in the area. In addition, community groups and residents are working together to make their neighborhoods safer.
The priorities of the police department in 2013 are to enhance the 24-hour monitoring center for the surveillance cameras and to focus on repeat offenders and get them off the streets. Habitual offenders continue to be a challenge for the department.
Being charged with a crime such as shoplifting, breaking and entering can affect your record for the rest of your life. If you’ve been charged with a crime, you are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and you do have the right to remain silent if you are arrested. Before you make any statements to police, make sure that you seek the advice of a criminal defense attorney. They understand your options and will work to get your charged reduced or dismissed depending on the situation.
Source: WCNC.com, “CMPD: Crime rate up 2.8 percent in 2012,” Cameron Steele, Jan. 23, 2013