City budget debate
to focus on crime
Law enforcement isn't largest dollar item facing City Council, but it's the hottest topic
CLAY BARBOUR
City leaders said Tuesday that the price tag for fighting crime would likely be a major part of the budget debate beginning next week.
The Charlotte City Council begins discussing the city's $1.6 billion budget Monday. And while public safety funding will not carry the biggest price tag, several council members acknowledged Tuesday that it will probably be the hottest topic.
Beyond that, they offered few specifics, saying instead they would rely on recommendations of law enforcement officials and city staff.
In the first three months of 2008, compared with the same period last year, robberies increased by more than 15 percent, aggravated assaults jumped by almost 17 percent and home burglaries increased by almost 18 percent.
Police officials said there are always variations in crime numbers, and that people should consider rates and long-term trends. The violent crime rate in Charlotte has generally declined for more than a decade, though the property crime rate has edged up in four of the past five years.
On Monday, residents marched on City Hall to bring attention to the issue. Members of that group met Tuesday with City Manager Curt Walton for about a half-hour.
"Our biggest goal was to make sure that what was said last night did not go unheard," said David Romero, a Republican candidate for City Council who spoke for the group. "We wanted an honest perspective on what was going on. We will hold them accountable. We will not go away."
The meeting, arranged by Republican councilman Andy Dulin, took place a day after about 100 residents marched from a restaurant in Dilworth to city headquarters for the City Council meeting.
Contacted Tuesday, several council members said they would take their lead from the professionals who fight crime daily.
"We are policy makers, not professional criminologists," said councilman Anthony Foxx, a Democrat. "We will be relying on what the city manager and police department asks of us."
Democratic councilwoman Patsy Kinsey said the council is interested in hearing the city manager's proposal.
"I think that is where the discussion will start," she said. "We'll have to see where it goes."
Walton is expected to ask the council for about $2.5 million to deal with the problem. The money would not require an increase in taxes, Dulin said.
If approved by the council, the money would go toward electronic monitoring for repeat offenders, added technology and staff in the district attorney's office and more positions in the police crime lab and 911 center.
During Monday's council meeting, Republican councilman John Lassiter asked Walton to investigate how much it would cost for the city to have a criminal justice team that would include representatives from the district attorney's office, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office and the police department.
The team would be able to address problems that cross over different lines of responsibility. Lassiter said he had asked the city manager to look into how much that would cost the city.
"We may have to hold off on building a few sidewalks in order to get criminals off the street," he said.
