Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Its Time For a Change - Cedar Posts Signs Off
It all began in 2009 with a miles long expose' of then newly hired police chief Rodney Monroe.
I had met the new chief at a charity event and was unimpressed. His first to the buffet move and inability to acknowledge the rank and file in attendance was problematic to say the least and would become the hallmark of his time in Charlotte.
In short he had the personality of a sand gnat. Small and super annoying.
I watched Rodney up close interact with command staff at Hornet's games and each time was dismayed at his inability to connect. He'd walk past officers and sergeants with sleeves full of service stripes and not speak to them.
At some point he figured out his floor seats where next to mine at the Hornet's games. The highlight of my life was sitting next to Vilma Leake and Rodney Monroe. (Sarcasm) Actually the theft of his golf cart during the Wells Fargo Tournament would be the highlight.
Or the time command told him raiding my home with a search warrant to take my computer wouldn't be a good idea since the Editor of the Charlotte Observer was my next door neighbor.
I was told my Naval Officer background was expecting too much, that lead by example and never passing someone without an appropriate greeting was beyond Monroe's scope of ability.
It is my firm belief that Rodney Monroe's tenure at CMPD is represented by the legacy of low morale and inability to recruit new officers today.
My apologies to the many of CMPD who over the years have been accused of either being CP or giving leds.
Somewhere Cedar Posts took a dark turn. And while providing a venue for current and former CMPD Officers to let off some steam and take swipes at command it has also gathered the attention of liberal nutbirds and cop haters.
The cop haters have tried doxing, tried to cancel the CP twitter account and on more than one occasion tried to shut down the CP Blog.
Truth be told CP only took on this idea as crime in Charlotte has exploded. Not a day goes by without a shocking crime of violence and a local media that remains silent refusing to address the fact that our DA is incompetent and judicial system is broken.
Our Mayor is as dysfunctional as Chicago's Lori Lightfoot.
The murder Sunday of 32-year-old Ahylea Willard will be Cedar Posts final contribution of that sort.
Going forward Meckburbia will cover this sort of madness.
I'm not sure if it will morph into the same dark look and feel of Cedar Posts. We shall see.
I'm open to suggestions.
I do want to acknowledge the dozen CMPD, CFD and media types who provide content anonymously y'all better than I am at this.
And so as Paul Harvey used to say after a long pause ...... page two....
Monday, October 24, 2022
The Arrest of Karen Baker's Killer Confirms Incompetence
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police announced Sunday that they had charged J’wuan Horton actually Juwan Horton AKA Juwan Marquies Horton and "J-Boosie" in the robbery and shooting death of Karen Baker.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Karen Baker was killed in a random robbery on July 13 in the University City area of Charlotte. Her family said she was getting money from an ATM when it happened.
Now 3 months later CMPD says they have their man.
But as expected the level of incompetency leading up to the death of Karen Baker is stunning.
On the morning of July 13, 2022 when Karen Baker was shot to death, Horton had been out of prison just four months. He had been released on February 25th after serving just 3 years for a string of armed robberies and felony breaking and entering that occured in February of 2018.
Despite the violent nature of his crimes the charges were consolidated and he was given only a three year and 8 month minimum sentence for the crimes that should have warranted a term of 20+ years.
On the Morning of July 13 bank surveillance cameras caught Horton on video as well as his getaway car. He remained at large in the weeks following the murder as CMPD and Baker's family pleaded for information.
Nearly 7 weeks later North Carolina Department of Community Corrections officers known to most offenders as simply their "PO" attempted to speak with Mr. Horton.
Horton had been non-compliant with the terms of his release since the first day of his parole.
When NC Parole Officers tried to approach Horton, he apparently thought he was being arrested for the murder of Baker and other crimes and refused to stop and the speak with the parole officers, leading them on a brief and unsuccessful car chase.
His "PO" charged him with Flee and Elude with a Motor Vehicle, No Drivers License, Reckless and Wanton Disregard, Speeding and Violating the Terms of his Parole. Horton was placed in the custody of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office and was booked into the Mecklenburg County Jail. A week later a judge ordered Horton's release and he was back out on the streets of Charlotte.
Horton walked out of the Mecklenburg County Jail at 2 am on the morning of September 7th, 2022, once again free to continue his life of violent crime.
Sources tell CP that Horton was on CMPD's radar but that communication between the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Post Release Supervision and Parole officers is non-existent and that gap may be the reason Horton's arrest was never brought to the attention of CMPD Detectives.
While this may explain why they had the killer in custody and turned him loose after one week it doesn't explain why Horton wasn't picked up right away or why he was given parole in the first place.
But let's repeat this: they had Karen Baker's killer in custody and a liberal judge turned him loose.
Cedar Posts' Take: The real failure is an entire system that operates in favor of violent offenders and no longer protects the public, both within the courts and with those who are supposed to protect the community post release.
Horton was supposed to be on "parole with close supervision". Nothing could have been further from the truth.
The left hand (THE PO) had not a clue what the right hand (CMPD) was doing. Where was the breakdown?
Karen Baker's death is due to woeful negligence of the Mecklenburg County DA, North Carolina Courts, Parole Officers and a system that is broken beyond comprehension.
Monday, November 23, 2020
Emily Wall Now Age 30 Arrested Again
Local "Meth Queen" Emily Wall is back in Mecklenburg County Jail. CP's guess is that this is her 27th arrest and 29th stay at the McFadden Hilton.