http://media.charlotteobserver.com/imag ... letter.pdf
http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/186723.html
For the first time since 2004, Charlotte celebrated the Fourth of July free from large disturbances in the center city.
Another difference: Police made 169 arrests -- six times the number in 2005 and in 2006.
In a letter to the city manager Thursday, Mayor Pat McCrory applauded the police effort. "Instead of many young kids setting the tone of intimidation and causing harm and disruptions, our Police set the tone. `The law will be obeyed!' " McCrory wrote.
Yet he said he observed what he called a disturbing trend.
"Too many of our youth, primarily African-American, are imitating and/or participating in a gangster type of dress, attitude, behavior and action," he wrote.
The majority of those arrested -- 122 of the 143 adults -- are African Americans. Thirteen are white; eight are Latino.
They were charged with mostly minor offenses, such as disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and trespassing. But police did find a .40-caliber handgun in the pants of one man charged with impeding traffic, and they confiscated an AK-47 assault-style weapon from inside a vehicle.
Some of those arrested said police were overzealous. Other people said the police presence made them feel safe. The differences in opinion underscore the fine line police walk in trying to maintain order during a public event without violating residents' civil liberties.
"I can understand that there will be people who will question whether all the visibility and arrests were necessary," said City Council member Anthony Foxx. "But I think, when you look back over the last two years, what you realize is that, for better or worse, there had to be a clear and unambiguous signal sent that large public events are not opportunities to misbehave."
Last year, police broke up a crowd of about 800 people along North Tryon Street, where one person was shot in the face and others were said to be throwing fireworks at officers. In 2005, police dispersed a crowd of about 2,000 who gathered at Trade and Tryon streets after the fireworks. Police arrested about two dozen people in each of those years.
Memorial Stadium, the official fireworks viewing site, attracted mostly families. Police said the uptown crowd of about 20,000 consisted of mostly African American youth. Police said most behaved and fewer than 1 percent were arrested.
"Our goal was to ensure a safe environment for people who wanted to come into the center city and enjoy themselves," Chief Darrel Stephens said. "We think we accomplished that."
A visible force
More than 300 extra police officers worked in or near uptown Wednesday night, mostly through rearranged schedules and not overtime. They were posted at most intersections and told groups gathered at corners to move along.Of those arrested, 26 were younger than 16; most of those were charged with violating the city's 11 p.m. curfew. The adults arrested ranged in age from 16 to 56, but Deputy Chief Jerry Sennett said most were between 16 and 28.
"We didn't arrest someone simply for walking in the street," Sennett said. "We gave people an ample opportunity to change their behavior. If they didn't change their behavior, then we made an arrest."
Will Johnson, 17, said an officer confronted him at the uptown transit center while he waited for Bus 10, though he was not arrested.
"He was talking about, `you need to go,' " Johnson said. "They didn't think I was waiting on my bus, but I really was."
Just before midnight, an Observer reporter heard Officer M.B. Burke warn a group of girls: "If you don't have ID or you're under 16, you're going to jail."
One protested that she is 16.
"And the ones with the big mouths will go first," Burke said to her.
Police presence praised
Some July Fourth revelers liked the police presence.
Quinn Jones, 26, who watched from uptown, said she "had peace of mind knowing that I could safely enjoy my July Fourth evening."
Dwayne Collins, chair of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, wasn't uptown for the July Fourth events, but he said it seems police acted appropriately. He did criticize the mayor for injecting race into his comments.
"Yes, African American children, like all children, do things that may wind them up in the hands of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer," Collins said. "But just to put a blanket condemnation, as I see it, on African American children is dangerous."
The gang issue
In his letter, McCrory, a Republican, said police should continue the assertive law enforcement efforts.
"From lighting fireworks, drinking alcohol in public, public urination, impeding traffic, curfew violations, fighting, illegal guns and even jaywalking, there were no exceptions, no excuses," he wrote. "Each time I witnessed an arrest by our police, it was done assertively, but always within professional conduct."
He outlined three points he sees as disturbing: young people dressing and acting like gangsters, parents not taking responsibility, and ignoring curfew.
Foxx and fellow councilman Michael Barnes, who are both Democrats, wondered why the seven-term mayor brought up the gang issue in a letter to the city manager.
"Well, how long has he been around and what has he done about it?" Barnes said. "That sort of empty rhetoric is useless in my mind. We have some serious problems in the community, and we need to address them, not just shoot out letters like that."
In response, McCrory said: "It's neither empty nor rhetoric. It's true."
He said he doesn't advocate profiling, "but the fact is, when you act like a gang member, (people are) going to have a negative reaction. It's just the truth."
Both council members had not heard from constituents praising or criticizing police. They believe police did their jobs well without abusing their power.
And they said the racial disparity of the people arrested didn't worry them.
"What troubles me is 169 arrests," Foxx said. "I think the temptation is to look at this through a racial lens, but until I have information that tells me something else, the way to look at this is through a community safety lens, and that's the way I'm looking at it."
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I needs to get me hand cannon permit
