Homicides up nearly 27% in Charlotte through 3rd quarter of 2022; overall violent crime down, police say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police provided a snapshot of crime in the city through the third quarter of 2022.

During a Wednesday morning news conference, CMPD officials said overall crime is up 4.5% compared to this time in 2021.

There have been 85 homicides through Sept. 30, representing a 26.9% increase from the 67 recorded during the same time period last year, according to the CMPD.

Overall violent crime is down almost 5% through Sept. 30, with sexual assaults declining by 19% and aggravated assaults falling by 7%, according to CMPD statistics. Robberies have increased by 6.4%.

Authorities said nearly 2,500 firearms have been seized so far in 2022, up 10% from the same period in 2021.

According to police, property crime - burglary, vehicle thefts and larceny - have risen 6.8% during the first three quarters of 2022.

Related: Police chief gives crime update as Charlotte homicides rise in 2022

During his September report to the Charlotte City Council, CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings told city leaders his department was working with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools on initiatives and programs to divert teens from crime.

“In working with CMS to make sure we didn’t see this year start out similar to what we saw last year, we wanted to make sure we took the initiative to continue the work we saw in the second semester of last year,” Jennings said.

Another initiative CMPD and city leaders have been focused on is the Alternatives to Violence Program and where they assign violence interrupters to certain neighborhoods, a program that has shown progress.

For the most up-to-date information from Wednesday morning’s report, download the free WBTV news app.

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