CMPD saw crime drop in almost all of the major categories for the first quarter of this year including violent crime and robberies compared to the same period last year.
At a press conference in East Charlotte, CMPD also credited a new team of officers for a decrease in deaths related to drunk driving.
CMPD says the four percent decrease in crime compared to 2013 may have to do with the opening of the Real Time Crime Center. It's a room full of TV monitors hooked up to cameras and license plate readers on Charlotte's streets.
It opened in March of 2013 using a security grant from the Democratic National Convention. Between January and March, CMPD officers say it led to 190 arrests.
Two categories with the greatest drop in crime – by more than 30 percent – are reported cases of rape and arson.
There were 50 cases of rape reported between January and March compared to 75 last year. In all but one case, all of the rapes involved individuals who the victims knew.
The two categories that saw an increase are homicides and reported cases of commercial burglary. There were four more homicides between January and March this year and 15 more reports of commercial burglaries.
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Mecklenburg ranks first among the state's counties for most alcohol related fatalities. So it awarded funding to CMPD to create the DWI task force. It was formed last November with state funding for the salaries and equipment for six CMPD officers.
