Hat Trick Saturday in Charlotte

Back in the day Charlotte's West Side was well known for homicides. The days of crack and heroin in CMPD's Adam Two Division have been replaced by meth and fentanyl in Freedom and Westover divisions. 

CMPD's West Side "Jump Out Boyz" have been replaced by JADE and SWITCH for a warmer more welcoming police presence in "Da Hood".

Homicides have become a city wide problem with even South Charlotte is seeing the carnage of drug related deaths and violence. 

Still Saturday night's 3 seperate homicides for a "Hat Trick" present a somber realization that CMPD, the Mecklenburg County DA and elected Judges as well as Charlotte City Leaders are failing at the first obligation of civil governance, public safety.

It is predictable that crime begets more crime and that in each of these three cases both victim and perpetrators will likely have intense criminal pasts even if the arrest records don't validate this claim.

Still there's a long held understanding that Police can't prevent homicides, and that human nature is too complicated to predict and prevent people from killing each other.

But that is within a normal society and in this segment of Charlotte's dark side is highly preventable by what is well known as "broken windows policing". 

Broken windows policing is a strategy that focuses on reducing minor crimes, which are easy to stop, to prevent major crimes. The theory is that by addressing quality of life offenses, like vandalism and graffiti, police can restore community order and reduce crime. 

(In criminology, the broken windows theory states that visible signs of crime, antisocial behavior and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes.)

In simple terms when there are no consequences for having expired plates or a valid driver's licenses, suddenly driving a stolen car is normal. When being a drug dealer is considered an acceptable "side gig" as much as being a doordash driver then having a stolen handgun is considerable normal and before long using that weapon to take what you want or settle an argument becomes acceptable.

Let's face it the African American Community has become a culture of violence embracing both criminality and gun play because there are no consequences for antisocial behavior.

Try as much as they like CMPD is no match for a DA and Elected Judges who are soft on crime. Add a mayor and city council that believe crime is a symptom of disadvantaged youth and systemic racism and it becomes a lost cause.

The first homicide happened around 11 a.m. on Saturday in the 6100 block of Old Mount Holly Road. When Officers first responded to a call to assist Medic they found a woman having a medical issue. When she got to the hospital, medical staff found a gunshot wound to her chest and she later died of her injuries.

About 10 hours later, around 9 p.m. on Saturday, officers responded to the 1200 block of Lucky Penny Street at the Loyalty Inn where they found someone with a gunshot wound to the head. Medic pronounced them dead at the scene.

The just before 2 a.m on Sunday March 2nd  officers responded to the 4800 block of Wilkinson Blvd about an assault with a deadly weapon after someone got into an altercation with an armed security guard. When they arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries.

Congratulations Charloot the hat trick is yours!

CMPD is also reporting a fourth separate shooting on East Woodlawn Road left one person in the hospital with life-threatening injuries on Sunday morning and another shooting that happened around 9 a.m.Sunday morning on Village Lake Drive in southeast Charlotte, which left one person with life-threatening injuries.

CP has repeatedly suggested that CMPD publicly report shootings so that the public can remain vigilant and aware of the ever increasing level of violent crime in Charlotte.