Overview
- Reps. Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan and Chuck Edwards formally asked Gov. Josh Stein to deploy the North Carolina National Guard to Charlotte, backing a prior request from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police.
- The lawmakers cite a reported streak of eight homicides in seven days, a 200% uptick in uptown murders, and increases in aggravated assaults and strong‑arm robberies detailed by the police union.
- Stein’s office rejects using military personnel for local policing and argues local officers are best equipped, pointing to a proposal for raises, recruitment and retention bonuses, and mental‑health investments.
- CMPD’s latest report shows overall crime down 8% and violent offenses down 20% citywide through the first nine months of 2025, contrasting with the union’s warnings about uptown spikes and staffing shortages.
- Proponents point to Guard deployments in Washington, D.C., and Memphis as models they say reduced crime, and they reference the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska and repeat‑offender cases to justify an emergency response; no deployment decision has been made.