Charlotte City Council members, facing news about rising crime and neighborhood groups frightened by the spike, said Wednesday that the city and police should re-examine its philosophies and priorities for law enforcement.
The rise, detailed in police statistics released Tuesday, needn't touch off a wholesale change, council members said. But they said the council should look carefully at how it's funding police, and police need to assess whether their tactics are working everywhere.
"I believe -- and I've told the police chief and city manager the same thing -- that we've overemphasized community policing and underemphasized public safety," said Councilman John Lassiter.
"There are areas where community policing is vital to reducing the growth of criminal activity. There are also places where the criminal element does not necessarily reside, and we have to secure those neighborhoods. We're out of balance in how we approach criminal activity throughout the city."
Councilman Edwin Peacock, who attended a community meeting with police Tuesday at a Myers Park church, said some residents threw up their hands and stormed out at what they saw as inadequate answers to their questions about crime.
"I think Chief (Darrel) Stephens' community policing needs another breath of fresh air," Peacock said. "If people don't feel safe, our future isn't bright."
The department's statistics show that over the first three months of the year, violent crime jumped 15 percent and property crime 12 percent compared to the same period in 2007.
But those spikes come within two larger, opposing trends: Charlotte's violent crime rate has generally fallen over the last decade, while the property crime rate has inched upward in four of the last five years.
Police said much of the rise was due to a worsening economy and an overloaded justice system that puts repeat offenders back on the street. Stephens, in a memo Wednesday to Mayor Pat McCrory, City Manager Curt Walton and council members, took issue with an Observer story that said Stephens "downplayed the increase."
That characterization, he said, is "not at all what I have attempted to communicate about Charlotte-Mecklenburg's crime picture or the steps taken by the department to help turn this situation around." Stephens said he was trying to provide context and balance to the crime numbers by citing some of the challenges police face and the spike's significance within longer-term trends.
Council members, while acknowledging the economy and justice system are causes, said they think the city can change some of the ways it combats crime.
Walton is expected to present his recommended 2008-09 budget to council members this week. "I think you'll see some discussions at a level you've never heard before about community safety," said Councilman Andy Dulin, who chairs the council's budget committee.
"We have to get down to the essential functions of government, discussing in detail the steps we can take to get more cops on the beat," Dulin said. He said he won't have specific suggestions for cuts until he sees the budget recommendation.
Other council members said they believe the city should consider stepping outside its normal funding role.
Councilman Michael Barnes said he'll continue to push for a property crimes court, an idea he's asked city staff to explore with state and local officials. He said the city could help pay for such a court.
Councilman Anthony Foxx said he intends to revisit a proposal to divert money from the city's capital budget -- reserved mostly for road projects -- to technology improvements in court, which could free up time for patrol officers. "As much as I care about transportation and roads, that's a different magnitude of issue from someone feeling violated," Foxx said. "They're going to think I'm crazy for suggesting it, but I don't hear any better ideas." -- staff writer victoria cherrie contributed.
-- Greg Lacour: 704-358-5067
