Operation Medicine Drop

The CMPD is joining hands with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the NC State Bureau of Investigation for Operation Medicine Drop, which will take place this Saturday, March 28, 2009, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., at seven Harris Teeter locations within Mecklenburg County. The purpose of the event is to provide members of the community a drop off location for any unused or outdated prescription medicine that they wish to discard.

With the misuse of prescription drugs second only to marijuana as the Nation's most prevalent drug problem, the annual average number of people using pain relievers non-medically for the first time exceeds the number of new marijuana users, according to a recent study released by SAMHSA. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)

More than 2.2 million youth in the United States aged 12 to 17 used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons in the past year to self-treat physical or mental distress, improve appearance or performance, catch an energy wave, or simply mellow out.

70% of teens who abuse prescription drugs admit to easily obtaining the drugs for free, primarily from friends and relatives

The prescription drugs most abused by teens are "opioid" pain relievers such as Darvon, Dilaudid, OxyContin, Vicodin, and products containing codeine or morphine

Teen abuse of prescription drugs also includes sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta, and Adderall, which are known for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Every day, 2,500 kids age 12 to 17 abuse a prescription painkiller for the first time.

Drug treatment admissions for prescription painkillers increased more than 300 percent from 1995 to 2005.

Listed below are the sponsoring Harris-Teeter Stores:

Southpark - 6701 Morrison Blvd.

Stonecrest - 7852 Rea Road

Steelcroft Shopping Center - 13000 South Tryon Street

Arboretum - 3333 Pineville-Matthews Road

Park Road Shopping Center - 4101 Park Road

Old Towne Mall - 4100 Carmel Road

Cochran Commons - 2720 W. Mallard Creek Church Road

Chief Rodney Monroe - Crime Stats

A while back some concerned citizens questioned the City's declining crime stats. The implication was that CMPD was using dubious techniques to classify crimes. In essence pressure was applied to classify a crime in the most favorable light. Today, as part of Sunshine Week, the Charlotte Observer published and interview with Chief Rodney Monroe and one of the issues addressed is crime statistics. The CMPD follows FBI guidelines for reporting statistics. I have spoken with various members of the Department and yes there is pressure, pressure to bring crime down as well as pressure to ensure crime is reported properly. Click here for the complete interview.

Q: Falling crime statistics reported by police have prompted some residents to ask if your department might be classifying, counting or reporting crime differently than it used to. You have said you follow FBI reporting guidelines and that you haven't instructed officers to change their reporting methods. What factors do you believe explain the markedly declining figures? Are you willing to open the department's records and statistics-compilation methods for audit by reporters and/or criminologists?

Interestingly, resident requests regarding our classification methodology have been few and have most often been preceded by “I read or saw on the news.” We do follow FBI guidelines in our reporting of crime. I have not instructed anyone to alter their reporting methods and have, in fact, reinforced to supervisors the need for proper review and accountability. Crime is, in fact, down. Not only are reports of major crimes down significantly, but calls for service, for those same crimes, are also down.

I believe several factors have contributed to our markedly declining figures. We are a more locally focused police department. Our 39 response area commanders can recognize trends and deploy resources more rapidly and more specifically. We have and continue to deploy more resources to the local commanders. We are a much more visible police department. We are working better with our communities in the identification and prioritization of problems. The department's crime records are already public. Our compilation methods are a straightforward reflection of those records. The state and FBI currently have the ability and mechanism to audit any reporting entity.

Be on the Lookout - BOLO

Rodney Jones has been arrested 25 times and he is a suspect in a recent break-in at an Uptown apartment. If you've seen him, call the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team at 704-336-8228.

Fun With Car Thieves

I came across this in the Charlotte Observer and had to smile. What a great way ruin the day of a would-be car thief and reduce the number of crimes in the process. Last years car theft was down more than 12%. After speaking with officers in the uptown area and I learned these decoy cars have been used in parking lots and neighborhoods to great effect. It was with much mirth that one of the more notorious uptown offenders was pick-up in First Ward. He was caught on tape in the locked vehicle and he was not happy at all. Oh well. Kudos to Nationwide insurance who help to underwrite this program in Charlotte and across the country.

If you're a car thief, beware
Police have set up decoy cars equipped with GPS units and cameras that make it easier to convict those who steal.
By Nichole Monroe Bell
nbell@charlotteobserver.com

Police park the vehicles in areas that tend to attract car thieves, such as apartment complexes and shopping centers. Sometimes police leave a key in the ignition.

So far, Charlotte police have arrested more than 30 suspects. Most recently, police charged John Edward Price, 49, of Charlotte, with felony larceny of a motor vehicle and felony possession of a motor vehicle after a man was found driving a bait car from the Atando Business Park area in north Charlotte.