The Jeff Katz Show

Radio personality Jeff Katz, who has appeared on CNN and Fox News and hosts WBT’s The Jeff Katz Show here in Charlotte, is so excited about our crime series, he interviewed me today, before the issue containing the first part has even hit most newsstands.  Jeff agrees that crime in the QC is a serious problem, and he feels that the topic has received too little attention.  He thanked us for making a four-part commitment to the issue and praised our introductory story.

Jeff used to be a policeman with the Philadelphia Housing PD, and that’s probably why he’s been able to chat with so many officers here in Charlotte—he said today that he’s talked to hundreds and that many of them are not happy.   We’ll actually be taking a close look at the CMPD in our next story, and Jeff invited me back to talk about that next month. 

In the mean time, we’d love to hear about your encounters with Charlotte’s police–MH

Talking crime

Charlotte has a real problem with crime.  The stats are scary (we were named one of the ten most dangerous big cities in the country, for example, in a report released this spring by research company Morgan Quitno Press; the FBI says our homicide rate is nearly twice the average of large urban areas nationwide), but they’re not exactly surprising, either.  As Rick says, Charlotte’s crime problem is one of the worst-kept secrets in town.  People are upset and frustrated, and they’re starting to take a stand.

I saw this first-hand when reporting on  a series of unusually well-attended community forums hosted by the CMPD and on a caravan to Raleigh in February, when hundreds of concerned citizens lobbied legislators for help.  Still, the issue has not gotten the attention it deserves and desperately needs, either, both in the news and from our officials.  And that’s why we want to take an in-depth look at the problem.

The first issue of our series will hit newsstands very soon, and in it, I describe the efforts mentioned above, and also where the city’s top officials stand—not pretty.  I’ll actually be talking about this today on Jeff Katz’s radio show around 4pm.  We’re psyched the buzz about our series has started so soon, and we’re excited, too, to hear from you on-line.  Let us know about your experiences with crime, law enforcement and local courts.  Let’s get the conversation going—Melissa Hankins

Charlotte’s Crime Blog

Charlotte’s Crime Blog is the companion blog to the Charlotte magazine series, Charlotte’s Crime Problem. Each article in the four-part series, running in June-September 2007, will examine a key component of our city’s struggle against crime. On this blog, we’ll provide between-issue updates, share additional stats and info, and pass along helpful links. More important, we want to hear from you. Tell us what you think about crime here. Share your stories, good and bad. As I wrote in my editor’s note in the June issue, crime in Charlotte is the problem that no one talks about. Let’s change that. Simply click the comments link below.