WCNC: Crime numbers are down but Charlotte Mecklenburg's Police Chief is standing by his request for more police officers, and he's getting support from some neighborhood leaders.
"There's still too much crime in the city of Charlotte and we need to be able to do more to be more aggressive in trying to reduce crime," Chief Rodney Monroe told Eyewitness News on Tuesday.
Monroe is asking the city for $4.5 million to hire 125 more officers to step up his campaign for more police visibility in the community. The timing of the request has raised some eyebrows. Crime statistics released last week show many crime indexes down more than 20 percent across Charlotte, and the request comes as Charlotte City Council is looking at possible budget cuts. But Monroe insists the extra officers are necessary.
"I recognize that very tough choices are going to be made but that shouldn't preclude me from saying what I believe is needed," Monroe said.
At least one influential neighborhood group is lining up behind the request. "We need more officers, no question," said Christy Wright of Neighbors for a Safer Charlotte.
The group has pushed for more crime control and better accountability in the courts since crime jumped significantly last year. Wright said she doesn't completely buy the latest crime numbers, and is supporting the Chief's request because many people she knows say there's still a long way to go.
"Ask everybody on the street whether they feel like this city's gotten materially safer, and the answer is no," said Wright.
