Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, are reporting an 8% overall decline in citywide crime and a 20% drop in violent offenses through the third quarter of 2025, but local officials warn that repeat offenders continue to undermine public safety.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s latest report, one 15-year-old has been arrested 111 times since August 2023, facing dozens of auto theft and property crime charges. “The cycle of catch and release does not reduce crime in our community,” said Sgt. Todd Martin, emphasizing that many offenders with lengthy criminal histories keep returning to the streets without significant consequences.
U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) called the teen’s case “evidence of a broken justice system.” The report follows the August 22 stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train, which sparked multiple investigations, including one by the state auditor finding a 55% decline in armed security personnel…