Fourth Ward - Crime Update

Thefts from vehicles continue to be our biggest problem. While we are fortunate to not experience much violent crime (unlike other areas of the city), we are at risk of continuing to make Fourth Ward an inviting target to criminals. Today's car thief may be tomorrow's home burglar. So when you leave your valuables in plain sight, you may be taking a risk with your own property. But you are also laying the groundwork for your family's and neighbor's home burglary, or worse.

In additional to thefts from cars, we have seen several incidents where fights originating in bars (on Tryon St and 6th St) that have spilled out in to our neighborhood streets. One incident ended in gunshots being fired. We urge residents to call 911 whenever you see these incidents occur.

Finally, if you have a garage door, close it! A recent article in the Charlotte Observer noted a 10% increase in garage related crimes in the first four months of 2008. Citizens leave their garage door open while they are in the house or in the back yard. Thieves take this opportunity to steal items quickly.

First Ward Break-in

There was a break-in in First Ward on Sunday evening, June 22, 2008. This is the third one in Parkside at First Ward in the past few months. Please keep an eye out for anyone suspicious and call 911. Tips can be sent to info@safety28202.com and crimes can be reported here.

Jennifer Roberts - Newsletter

The 2008 - 2009 County Budget

One of our highest priorities is public safety. This is an area where we have chosen to increase our funding. In addition to a more than $11 million increase for the sheriff's office, for 70 additional deputies and 2 new detention facilities which will open this fall in north Mecklenburg, we are adding $1 million this year (on an annualized basis it will be more than $2.5 million) to the court system and the District Attorney's office. This is a State responsibility, but we have heard from citizens that the County needs to help with this, so we are stepping up to the plate to fund these positions from the County budget. Consistent with the Jail Master Plan recommendations, these monies will fund additional court system personnel and equipment. These resources are proposed to implement the initiatives the State justice agencies agree are the top priorities to make the system operate more efficiently and effectively in adjudicating cases.

This includes adding 36 new positions as follows:

11 positions in the District Attorney's Office, including
6 additional assistantdistrict attorneys
5 positions in the Public Defender's Office, including
4 additional public defenders
4 positions in Clerk of Court's Office
7 positions in the Trial Court Administrator's Office
9 positions in pretrial services in the Sheriff's Office.

These will be added to the 43 court-related positions that the county is already funding at a cost of $3.4 million in the FY2008 budget. The District Attorney will be receiving a total of 12 new assistant DAs and at least 9 additional staff as well. He has stated publicly that he can absorb about 10 new ADA's a year, so we will more than meet his need.

The budget compromise involved taking $2 million from various other reserves and adding that to the $1million that the Democrats had already set aside from crime fighting purposes last week. This means that in addition to the $1 million for 36 court-related positions, we have set aside an extra $3 million in a reserve that will await recommendations from the Criminal Justice Task Force that will begin meeting in the coming weeks.

Headed by retired judge Shirley Fulton and retired Carolinas Healthcare System CEO Harry Nurkin, this Task Force will analyze the overall functioning of the system, suggest efficiencies, help to end the revolving door of repeat offenders, and improve public safety. Its report will be used to direct budgets for the County and the State, to get agreement around priority-setting and the re-engineering of the system. It may be that we can achieve significant improvements through efficiencies without having to spend many millions more.

As a crime victim myself, I am in complete agreement with those citizens and other victims who, in evident pain and distress, demand change in the dysfunctional criminal justice system. The outpouring of hundreds of volunteers from the community for the Criminal Justice Task Force was inspiring, and we await the findings and recommendations of the 12 member group. We will responsibly make that change happen. I also want to point out that our total public safety spending, which last year was about $125 million, will increase to over $145 million in this fiscal year. That is change we can all support.

Jennifer Roberts

Fourth Street Improvement Project

A public meeting will be held at 6:30pm, Tuesday, June 16, 2008, about the Johnson & Wales/Fourth Street Extension improvement project. The projects' goal is to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety. The meeting will be held at the Johnson & Wales Academic Center, 801 W. Trade Street.

Stolen Property

Please take a moment and look at the attached photo of property that has been recovered. We are looking to identify the owners of the property.

Officer R. Sprague
CMPD
704-943-2483
rsprague@cmpd.org

"Only At Reid's"

Deborah and I walked up to Reid's this morning to have a sandwich. As we walked in the door I noticed a ladies handbag, sans lady, near one of the outdoor tables. Naturally I took the bag to customer service. A short while later two women stopped to thank us and one of them said "only at Reid's" would you be able to leave your bag outside and get it back. I hope that's not true and I hope more people would do the same. I am reminded of Chuck Richard's quote from the homepage: "We take care of each other and take responsibility for maintaining a place that is conducive to good business and a great quality of life." We do and we should!

Be On The Lookout - BOLO

This subject was arrested for breaking into a vehicle on Cherokee Road/Cranbrook Lane. She has been employed by some in the Myers Park area and often walks from Grier Heights to the places she works. She was observed checking door handles and then found in possession of property. Please be on the lookout.

This person is not currently opperating in the center city but we still need to stay alert.

Click here and here for her arrest records.

Lowes Foods Taste of Charlotte

Lowes Foods Taste of Charlotte returns to Uptown June 6th – 8th, along with more than 150,000 people clamoring for its fantastic food and entertainment. For years, the festival has been known for its cuisine, but festival guests know it for something else … GREAT ENTERTAINMENT!

If you have not experienced the Street Performers, you have missed out on one of the most fascinating stories from Lowes Foods Taste of Charlotte. Hundreds of guests gather near the intersections of Tryon Street each hour to witness Incredible Acrobatics, Lively Acoustic Entertainment and a Duo on the Drums (or cans and buckets).

Street Performing Schedule, all shows are continuous:

• “The Calypso Tumblers” 5th and Tryon

• “The NYC Players” 3rd and Tryon

• “The Faith Band” 4th and Tryon


Coca Cola Zero Center Stage ~ Trade and Tryon

Friday, June 6, 2008

11:00am - The Pat Carpenter Band

3:00pm - One Leg Up

5:30pm - The Loafers

8:00pm - Best of the Taste Awards

8:30pm - The Alabama Blue Brothers

Saturday, June 7, 2008

11:00am - Center City Groove Band

2:00pm - Kimberly Carper Band

4:00pm - CMS School Dancers

5:00pm - Jewels of the Caravan

5:30pm - Wild Canyon

Sunday, June 8, 2008

11:00am - The Masonboro Boys

2:00pm - Jewels of the Caravan

3:00pm - Cherry Bomb

Hours of Operation:

Lowes Foods Taste of Charlotte will take place on Tryon Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Sixth Street, June 6th – 8th. The festival is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. For parking information, click here.

For more information: For more information on Lowes Foods Taste of Charlotte, visit Taste Of Charlotte or contact Carrie Griffin at 704.572.9870.

charlottecentercity.org