CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said despite the fact that homicides are down in the city compared to the same time last year, they were concerned about the number of teens involved in some of those murders.
"One homicide is one too many," said Robert Tufano, CMPD Spokesperson.
At this time last year, the department was dealing with 28 homicides. This year, police have responded to 16. In several of those cases, teens have been arrested and charged with murder, including at least three juveniles under the age of 16.
CMPD said juvenile officers continue to identify and work with at-risk teens through their J-POST program. J-POST stands for Juvenile Post Offender Strategic Team.
Out of hundreds of kids who have run into trouble with the law, the program works with around 60. Officers make contact with the kids by visiting their homes or just chatting with them in the street.
The officers serve as mentors to the kids, showing them different options that are available. The program helps officers work with kids and their family members to help kids make better decisions.