Charlotte is not the eighth most dangerous city in America, so says CMPD chief Darrel Stephens. Crime, dear citizens, is more complicated than “dangerous” or “safe.”
Similarly, CMS has habitually said when national or state-wide yardsticks turn up shortcomings that education is more complicated than “pass” or “fail.” Look where we started, at all the hurdles, and how far we’ve come. That’s progress and progress, not results, is the goal.
Stephens has heard this enough over the years that he is now saying the same thing with regard to crime.
Stephens and others also say the report doesn’t take into account the different factors in each city that contribute to crime rates. Education, economic pressures, judicial resources can all affect the crime in a given city.
Yes? And? What’s your point Chief? Or should I say Sociologist-in-Blue? The question before us is simple: Charlotte — Safe or Not Safe?
One measure, not perfect, but based on solid FBI crime stats puts Charlotte near the top of the unsafe list. Maybe not exactly 8th, up from 10th last year, but certainly well above the big city average. So, how do we fix that?
Stephens’ first step is to deny the problem, as he did with gang-related crime in Charlotte before that became impossible. And what about those “root causes” the Chief rattles off?
How many times have you, Chief, jumped in your car to track down Speaker Jim Black and demand that he and his Raleigh cronies fund the criminal court system the way it should, by law, be funded? Have you ever directly raised the issue of state funding of Mecklenburg County courts with any state elected official?
If not, why not? If you must spin, spin there.
