According to The Charlotte Observer, police have released crime statistics for February 2006.Police in Mecklenburg County are having a tough time keeping up with burglars, car thieves and drunk drivers. Overall, the crime index continues to drop in Charlotte.
Robbery: For the second straight month, police reported a big drop in rate of armed robberies -- a crime they have been targeting for several months. In February, the first month during which the new Street Crimes Task Force has been in operation, the robbery rate was down 26.7 percent from February 2005.
Homicide: The homicide rate was generally even, with 11 in the first two months of the year, compared to 10 in January and February a year ago.
Traffic: Police report 12 deaths in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police coverage area in the first two months of this year, compared to seven in the same period last year. "Many of these have been due to people drinking and driving," said Deputy Police Chief Nina Wright. She said police have stepped up patrols and have increased the number of citations and arrests against drunk drivers.Police also are concerned about burglary and auto theft.
Burglary: The burglary rate is up 9.2 percent for the first two months of the year, over the same period a year ago.
Auto Theft: The auto theft rate has increased 7.1 percent over the same time frame. Police say the Honda Accord, especially from 1997 to 1997, remains the No. 1 target of car thieves in the area, followed by the Honda Civic and the Ford Explorer.