Community members call on CMPD to help clean up crime along Reagan Drive
A man and woman were shot, one of them fatally, at a gas station in the area on Monday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Community activists and business leaders came together Wednesday afternoon at the corner of Reagan Drive and West Sugar Creek Road to discuss the changes they would like to see in that area.
The conference was organized by Genesis Project 1 Inc. Staff at the mental health facility said they help people in the area dealing with addiction, poverty and abuse.
On Monday, a woman died and a man was also shot at the Shell gas station at the corner of the two roads.
Just a couple hours before that shooting, an assault on a woman by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police was recorded and shared online.
The group that gathered on Wednesday questioned CMPD’s actions when it comes to taking care of the area that has become notoriously known for crime and violence.
“It was a travesty what happened on Monday night,” Ron Zarek said. “Absolutely unacceptable and considering what is going on up and down Reagan, we know it needs to stop. I own the McDonald’s across the street, we deal with this every day.”
Those who came out to the gathering are calling on CMPD to do more in tracking crime in their part of town.
“What is the difference in this side of town and that side of town? We’re tired of it,” Will Adams of nonprofit Team TruBlue said. “There has to be accountability across the board. We need the police to do their job over here. Help these people clean up this area.”
Members of Genesis Project wondered whether their area could ever be a focus for the city decision-makers.
“You got law enforcement coming in and out of here, but that’s what they do,” Genesis Project 1′s Earl Owens III said. “We got business owners. We’re trying to navigate a business and at the same time navigate harm. Navigate being assaulted. What is it going to take for the city officials to come to Sugar Creek and Reagan Drive and clean this thing up? So that we all can appreciate the community that we live in?”
During the conference, members of Genesis Project extended their services to anyone in need. The group also called for volunteers to come forward who want to help them patrol the area and make progress in the community.
Related: Woman identified in northeast Charlotte shooting, suspect in custody
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