Overview

• The state’s preliminary review says CATS has 39 armed guards, not enough to cover the system’s 48 train cars at once.
• Armed staffing is down roughly 55% from 2018 levels under G4S, with the audit noting the city’s shift to a single contractor, Professional Police Services, at the end of 2024.
• The security contract value rose from $5.9 million in 2022 to $18.4 million in 2025, while auditors found 186 personnel assigned out of up to 219 positions allowed.
• The audit flags procurement influenced by Charlotte Business Inclusion rules, citing a 2022 email limiting unarmed security bids to CBI-registered firms, and says a final report is forthcoming.
• City leaders defend their strategy as increasing overall visibility, redeploying officers and adding patrols with CMPD off‑duty support, while charges in Iryna Zarutska’s August killing continue in state and federal court.