A Letter with Blood on the Page
On Oct. 3 the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) posted a letter to social media. Addressed to Mayor Vi Lyles, Governor Josh Stein and President Donald Trump, it asked them to request federal law‑enforcement assistance — including the National Guard. FOP president Daniel C. Redford cited alarming violence: within two days officers had responded to a double homicide and the shooting death of a 16‑year‑old in Uptown. He wrote that the same weekend saw three murders and multiple shootings.
The letter noted that since 23‑year‑old Iryna Zarutska was killed aboard a light‑rail train on Aug. 22, at least 15 other homicides have occurred. Uptown homicides, the letter said, had risen by triple‑digit percentages, and nearly 25 people had been killed since CMPD released a mid‑year report in July showing violent crime was down. According to the FOP, the surge has stretched CMPD staffing to its limit, leaving officers exhausted and residents fearful.
What the Police Union Wants — and Why
The FOP represents about 1,690 CMPD officers. In their letter, leaders said that current crime‑fighting strategies and staffing levels were “unsustainable” and put both officers and civilians at risk. They pointed to a July 6 incident in which a CMPD officer was shot while responding to a domestic dispute and to a mass shooting that left five people wounded. Stress on the department is so high, the letter argued, that officers rated staff shortages as more stressful than losing a colleague in the line of duty.
Redford framed the request as a plea for relief: with public safety in crisis, the union saw the National Guard as a temporary way to boost patrols and deter violence. The letter’s tone, however, suggested a deeper strategy. It was shared widely on social media and quickly amplified by national commentators who have called for tough‑on‑crime crackdowns.
Violence and Politics Collide
The FOP’s request did not emerge in a vacuum. The murder of Iryna Zarutska — a 23‑year‑old Ukrainian refugee stabbed to death on the Blue Line — shocked Charlotte and spurred the North Carolina General Assembly to pass “Iryna’s Law,” which tightened bail rules and added aggravating factors to sentencing. Her killing also prompted a Sept. 29 field hearing of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in Charlotte. Since then, homicides have continued: the union’s letter notes 15 additional killings, while local Spanish‑language outlet Enlace Latino NC counted a double homicide in the Freedom area and the shooting of 16‑year‑old Alexander Cruz Martinez near Midtown.
Despite those grim events, Charlotte’s overall violent‑crime rate has been trending downward. CMPD’s mid‑year report released in July touted a 25 percent drop in violent crime and nearly a 30 percent decrease in homicides compared with the first half of 2024, though the full report is no longer available on the city’s website. The union contends that the trend masks a spike since the report was released: according to Redford’s letter, nearly 25 homicides have occurred since July. Whatever the metric, the surge in high‑profile killings has eclipsed statistical gains and fed public anxiety.
City and Community Leaders Push Back
Almost immediately, local officials rejected the idea of deploying troops. At a press conference on Oct. 3, Mayor Lyles announced new safety measures for the Blue Line — including bicycle and all‑terrain‑vehicle patrols along the route — but said Charlotte did not need the National Guard. Council member Malcolm Graham called the FOP’s request “window dressing” and argued that the city should focus on blocking out outside noise and improving staffing. Edwin Peacock, a Republican council member, agreed that more visible policing is needed but called the Guard proposal “shock value” lacking a clear plan. Incoming District 5 council member Juan Diego Mazuera Arias warned that bringing in troops would erode trust, particularly in immigrant communities, and fail to address root causes like poverty and mental health. U.S. Representative Alma Adams added that Charlotte’s public‑safety improvements have already reduced homicides and that militarizing the streets is unnecessary.
National Ambitions and Public Opinion
The union’s plea coincided with a national push by the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic‑led cities as part of what it calls a crime‑control offensive. President Trump has described these deployments as a “training ground” for the military and suggested expanding them to cities like Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago. Polls suggest he is swimming upstream: a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted in late August found that only 38 percent of Americans support using National Guard troops for law enforcement in Washington, D.C., while 46 percent oppose it. Support runs along party lines — 76 percent of Republicans back the deployments, compared with just 8 percent of Democrats. The same poll put the president’s approval rating at around 40 percent. These numbers show that most Americans view domestic troop deployments as an overreach.
Facing a Staffing Crisis Without Tanks
Staffing issues at CMPD are not new. The department has struggled to recruit and retain officers amid national scrutiny of policing practices. The FOP letter reflects real exhaustion on the force, but city leaders argue that the fix is more hiring, better pay and investments in mental‑health services and youth programs — not soldiers on Tryon Street. North Carolina’s new law and Charlotte’s enhanced transit patrols are part of that response.
Charlotte’s predicament mirrors a broader American tension: how to balance civil liberties with public safety. The FOP has forced a conversation about resources, but the consensus among elected officials is clear — the National Guard should remain a last resort. As Charlotte heads into a pivotal municipal election, voters will have to decide whether they trust their leaders to bolster public safety without militarizing their hometown.
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About the Author
Jack Beckett is a senior writer at The Charlotte Mercury. He enjoys long City Council meetings, short walks to the nearest coffee shop, and reporting stories that make Charlotteans raise their eyebrows and ask better questions. When not digging through agendas, he’s usually brewing a third cup and pondering whether it’s pronounced “uptown” or “downtown.”
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This article, “Charlotte Police Union’s National Guard Plea Signals Staffing Crisis,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY‑ND 4.0.
“Charlotte Police Union’s National Guard Plea Signals Staffing Crisis”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY‑ND 4.0)