CMPD crime report: Youth crime, auto theft surge

Youth crime significantly contributed to an overall crime increase last year, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department End of Year Crime Report.

“We have a significant issue with juvenile crime,” Chief Johnny Jennings said in a press briefing. “This has been detrimental to how we handle [overall] crime.”

In 2023, there was a 17% uptick in property crime fueled by the surge of auto theft caused by youth offenders, CMPD’s report stated.

More than 8,000 vehicles were reported stolen in 2023, a 120% surge from the year prior. More than 1,200 youths were arrested for these crimes, police said.

A youth issue

Property crime was driven by juvenile auto theft, tracing back to the Hyundai and Kia auto theft challenge, a nationwide social media trend that emerged in the summer of 2021.

There was a 3% increase in aggravated assaults and a 7% increase in aggravated assaults using guns, CMPD said. According to police, many of them were teens who were targeting other teens.

There were more than 1,200 guns stolen from vehicles, considered by police to be a common source of firearms for many youth suspects.

Youth were involved in 108 shootings, a 33% increase from last year.

One issue for the department, police said, is handling re-offenders.

The top three juvenile offenders, one 15-year-old and a 17-year-old, amassed over 120 charges, including multiple auto thefts, assaults with a deadly weapon, and assaults inflicting serious injuries.

“Secure custody orders for juveniles remain difficult to obtain as juvenile crime continues to rise,” said Major Ryan Butler. “This is an issue that is impacting the entire city and state of North Carolina.”

Considerable improvements

Homicides were down 11% last year, police said. Jennings credited the change to the department’s efforts in arresting re-offenders.

There were 15,343 total arrests in 2023, a 12 percent increase from 2022.

CMPD seized more than 3,000 guns last year, up 10% increase from the year prior.

The department ranks near the top of the country in crime clearance – a metric law enforcement agencies use to evaluate effectiveness in solving crimes– with a rate of 80%, surpassing the national average of 52%, according to the end-of-year data report.

The violent crime category remained stagnant, seeing no significant increase or decrease last year, according to CMPD’s report.

“We’ve seen decreases over the last few years,” Jennings said. “My focus has always been on the reduction and management of violent crime.”

Hiring new staff

The department shared that it saw an increase of 2,569 sworn applications, a 31% increase, and 191 sworn hires last year.

CMPD also shared that there are plans to hire an additional recruiting class in 2024.

Jennings said the growing number of recruits will fill most of the department’s vacancies within the next two years.

“We are going to continue adding to our ranks to keep our community safe,” he said.

Other numbers:

Number of rapes reported, down 15%
Robberies, down 8%
Residential burglaries, down 2%
Commercial burglaries, down 12%
Arson, flat
Larceny, rose 8%

Read the original at QCity Metro.

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