Uptown Shootings Undercut CMPD’s Crime Decline Claim

Numbers Say One Thing, Sirens Another

CMPD’s half-time crime score looks tidy: overall reports down 8 percent, violent offenses down 25 percent, property cases down 5 percent. The department credits targeted patrols, a catalytic-converter task force, and something called Team Scarlet that stalks stolen Kias. The victory lap paused when bullets flew outside Encore on College Street at 2 a.m., July 7, killing bartender Arlie Bryant and wounding five others. Two suspects sprinted past cruisers already flashing blue. So much for the optics.

Inside the Spreadsheet

CMPD praises ShotSpotter sensors and extra overtime. Criminologists tell me mid-year snapshots are noisy: a single gang feud can tilt the chart, and July isn’t even baked in yet.

The Uptown Reality Check

Residents near College and Sixth describe a Jekyll-and-Hyde block: lunch crowds slurp ramen, night crowds sprint from gunfire. One renter told WBTV he’s moving to Los Angeles because it “feels calmer.” Imagine that emoji here: 🤔

Charlotte Center City Partners worries about reputational collateral. Taxpayers just pledged $275 million for arena upgrades and another $650 million across town for Bank of America Stadium tweaks. Empty sidewalks don’t buy jerseys.

Communication Breakdown

CMPD waited almost 40 hours to brief reporters on the Encore shooting. City staff quibbled over whether five injured people constitutes a “mass shooting.” Council member Edwin Peacock III called the hair-splitting “obtuse.” Voters call it familiar.

What Comes Next?

• CMPD expands camera nets, pushes curfews for club zones, and floats a return to high-visibility foot patrols.
• Council candidates polish sound bites: tough on crime or tough on spin. Poll Dance 2025 is warming up; grab your ballot shoes at Poll Dance 2025.
• Community groups test violence-interruption programs while business owners price bullet-resistant front glass.

Data Without Dollars

Crime stats drop, but insurance premiums don’t. Uptown lease negotiations now include security-camera clauses. Economic developer Megan Gude notes a small-business owner can “survive one lockdown, not three.”

The Long View

Violent crime in Charlotte remains below the 2015 peak, yet above the pre-pandemic lull. The curve isn’t an arrow; it’s a sine wave powered by guns, wages, and whoever wins the next City Council food fight. July’s body-count spike will haunt CMPD’s end-year presser. The department insists trust is climbing; neighbors keep looking over shoulders. Both things can be true.

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About the Author ☕️

Jack Beckett subsists on black coffee and asiago bagels from the Einstein Bros. on South Boulevard. The caffeine keeps the sentences short; the schmear fuels the snark. Thanks to Einstein Bros. for believing carb-loaded breakfasts support watchdog journalism.

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© 2025 Strolling Ballantyne / The Charlotte Mercury
This article, “Uptown Shootings Undercut CMPD’s Crime Decline Claim,” by Jack Beckett is licensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.

“Uptown Shootings Undercut CMPD’s Crime Decline Claim”
by Jack Beckett, The Charlotte Mercury (CC BY-ND 4.0)

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