First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers go out to the young women’s family and friends.
This is a tragic situation that sheds light on problems with society safety nets related to mental healthcare and the systems that should be in place.
As we come to understand what happened and why, we must look at the entire situation.
While I do not know the specifics of the man’s medical record, what I have come to understand is that he has long struggled with mental health and appears to have suffered a crisis. This was the unfortunate and tragic outcome. While there are questions about the safety and security of our transit system and our city, I do know there have been significant and sustained efforts to address safety and security within our transit system and across our city.
Charlotte is by and large a safe city.
CATS by and large is a safe transit system.
However, tragic incidents like these should force us to look at what we are doing across our community to address root causes. We will never arrest our way out issues such homelessness and mental health. I am committed to doing the hard work with Mecklenburg County, community leaders, health care service providers, and the private sector to ensure that Charlotte continues to be one of the best cities in the world, with the highest quality of life for everyone.
I want to be clear that I am not villainizing those who struggle with their mental health or those who are unhoused.
Mental health disease is just that – a disease like any other than needs to be treated with the same compassion, diligence and commitment as cancer or heart disease. Our community must work to address the underlying issue of access to mental healthcare.
Also, those who are unhoused are more frequently the victim of crimes and not the perpetrators.
Too many people who are on the street need a safe place to sleep and wrap around services to lift them up.
We, as a community, must do better for those members of our community who need help and have no place to go.
Vi Lyles
Your elected Mayor of Charlotte
Props to Joe Bruno for sharing this.
Do we know how many mentally disturbed white men are murdering innocent black women? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteGreat point, but of course, we know the answer. It’s not our “communities” it’s one community that regardless of if in Charlotte, Philly, Detroit, or Portland - is the one responsible for killing 90% of people and probably 95% of their own community.
DeleteHer response isn't about the murder of a young girl or this random act of horrific violence. Tone deaf? Because stabbing someone a dozen times is personal it is not like shooting at a car in anger this was personal this was hate filled rage.
ReplyDeleteVi Lyles should resign.
Yep. It was a hate crime and had it been a white man stabbing an innocent black woman...the response would be swift and brutal. We'd hear about racism, lower class struggles, and the dangerous world white men create
DeleteSince the mayor isn't blaming the man who stabbed the girl who does she believe should be prosecuted for her murder?
ReplyDeleteTypical Democrat response. And the "unhoused" want to be in the streets. This city and county have a lot resources but they don't want them or won't abide by the rules.
ReplyDeleteThis is such bullshit.
ReplyDeleteThere is no “mental health disease”. It’s broken down into 100s of disorders which are just separation from the norm. Most people have a disorder of some sort, as this world changes people over the course of time.
Some people are just psycho or violent, so they need to be put to rest or caged.
Some people are funny or risky. They create things that have never been done.
Some people are logical or square. They make our computers and economy stable.
Some people are brave and order driven. They die for political causes and cultivate our agriculture.
It’s not about demographics, but Charlotte is not safe for good people.
The mayor needs to resign.
Maybe we’d be better as a city if majority of the PTOs weren’t trash
ReplyDeleteIt’s just a way to get them out of the driver seat. Speaking of mental health, half this agency are ill and unfit. Look at the sgt in Providence Division, or the LT in the Chiefs office.
DeleteCharlotte is crazy and draws in crazy, which can have dangerous outcomes. It’s create a new generation of children with problems.
CMPD has always had a problem with suicide. Many officers family kill themselves. Pills is another driver towards downfall or public dishonor. Violence at home and cheating leads towards unstable home lives, and financial instability. You can ask any Community Coordinator paying child support. Ask any female supervisor that had affairs with her coworkers.
ReplyDeleteAnswers? Stop being selfish and think about positive ways to help the less fortunate. It leads towards a longer and healthier life.
There are no “less fortunate” on Sugar Creek or Woodlawn.
ReplyDeleteAn astoundingly dumb response.
ReplyDelete