Police Chief Johnny Jennings decried repeat criminal offenders and said Mecklenburg County again needs a detention facility for teenagers during a lunch in south Charlotte on Tuesday. The speech came as he nears his Jan. 1 retirement.
“People thought I was saying we need detentions to lock kids up,” Jennings said. “It’s to protect the kids from themselves and to protect people from being victimized by some of these kids.”
Jennings spoke at CharBar No. 7 on Carmel Road in his address to the Hood Hargett Breakfast Club, a business networking group. He reflected on his career and answered questions as audience members chose between chicken marsala or blackened salmon…