Good for the folks who confronted the Charlotte city council on crime last night. Now for the follow-through.

Every single penny over and above the $20m. earmarked for the NASCAR Hall of Fame from the sale of the 277-Caldwell cloverleaf land should be pumped into the local criminal justice system. That could be as much as $40m. as the land could fetch $60m. if real estate values hold and city officials are correct.

Are we serious or not? This is not a difficult proposition. We either choose law enforcement and the basic fabric of civil society, or we opt for fluff, glitz, and spin. Either this gets done quickly and calmly the right way or we are trapped in some kabuki theater where shadows, poses, and costumes mean more than objective reality.

Charlotte is faced with a crime emergency. Will Mayor Pat McCrory and city council act responsibly to confront that situation?

Or just act?