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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C.-- Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers bring 5 to 10 kids a week to Gatling Juvenile Detention Center in Huntersville.
Captain Lisa Goeltz heads the juvenile unit for the police department and says "these juveniles could range from being a runaway to committing an armed robbery and every crime in between".
Budget cuts have effectively closed the longtime juvenile detention facility.
"Well it's going to be an adjustment we've been very fortunate to have our own juvenile detention facility," says Goeltz.
Right now Gatling is not taking any more juveniles and is shipping out the ones that it has to other facilities.
The closest one is in Gaston County which is about an hour's drive round trip.
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The longest would be in Pitt County near Greenville, which would take 5 hours one way.
Because a juvenile is involved, two patrol officers would be assigned.
"When you think about it, that's 5 hours that two officers are not on patrol, they are not in your community keeping your community safe it's going to have some repercussions county wide," says Goeltz.
In terms of man hours police say this could be the equivalent of taking 10 to 20 cops of the street during some weeks.
