CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A 14% increase in Charlotte's overall crime rate was driven by a surge in stolen vehicles while reducing crimes committed by underage suspects remains a difficult task, new data from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police recently revealed.
CMPD released its 2023 End-of-Year Public Safety Report Thursday morning. The data shows that overall crime was up 14%, while property crime jumped 17% from 2022. That rise was driven by an "extremely alarming" rise in the number of crimes committed by teenagers, as well as an increase in shootings citywide.
Charlotte homicides down in 2023
Violent crime was flat compared to last year's numbers, according to CMPD, including an 11% drop in homicides from 2022's count of 107.
CMPD reported 95 homicides last year. Of those, eight cases are being reviewed by the district attorney and may be removed from the count. CMPD touted its homicide unit's 80% solve rate over the last five years, claiming that number is significantly higher than the national average of 52%.
"Each homicide in Charlotte is a homicide too many," CMPD said in a statement. "Our clearance rate is so high because our detectives don't forget our victims and never stop working to find answers and seek justice."
Car thefts drive surge in overall crime
Property crime rose 17% last year. CMPD says that is mainly driven by a 120% spike in stolen cars. CMPD reported over 8,000 stolen vehicles in 2023, of which 5,432 were Kias and Hyundais. CMPD said these numbers can be traced back to the "Kia Challenge" of 2022 that led to a nationwide surge in stolen Hyundai and Kia models.
Overall, 67% of stolen vehicles in Charlotte last year were Kias and Hyundais. CMPD says it recovered more than half of stolen vehicles last year and made more than 1,200 arrests, which was a 98% increase from 2022.
CMPD says the majority of car thefts were being committed by teenagers, with juveniles making up 68% of all stolen car arrests.
Getting guns off the streets
CMPD saw a 10% increase in the number of guns seized last year, taking 3,432 guns off Charlotte's streets. Robberies were down 8%, arsons were flat and aggravated assaults saw a 3% increase from 2022. That includes a 7% increase in the number of shootings, with CMPD reporting 4,261 shootings in 2023.
Juvenile crime remains a big problem
Juvenile crime was a major area of concern for Charlotte and CMPD's data bears that out. CMPD reported a 34% increase in the number of juveniles who were arrested (3,016). Additionally, 108 underage people were named as suspects in shootings, which was a 33% increase from 2022.
The number of underage victims of gun violence saw a sharp increase as well, going up 18% from the year before. Those victims include 8-year-old Olivia Velez, who was shot in the head when her family's home was shot into in April. CMPD said that case is believed to be the result of a dispute between groups of young people.
CMPD says many underage suspects are racking up multiple charges because they aren't being held on secure custody orders. Instead, many of those suspects are being released back to family. CMPD highlighted three suspects who accumulated 122 total charges, including a 15-year-old who faces 48 charges, including two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
"This should be extremely alarming that children are allowed to wreak havoc of this magnitude in the city with minimal consequences," CMPD said.
New initiative proves successful
The department touted Operation Heartbeat, one of its newer initiatives designed to reduce violent crime. CMPD posted on X that Operation Heartbeat led to a 36% decrease in violent crime and a 43% drop in robberies in areas surrounding Spectrum Center, the Charlotte Transit Center and adjacent parking areas. Overall, the Central Division, which covers South End and Uptown, reported a 3% drop in overall violent crime.