A coalition of Republican lawmakers urged North Carolina’s governor on November 5 to deploy the National Guard in Charlotte, citing a surge in violent crime and citing rising numbers of offenders. The letter, sent to Gov. Josh Stein, argues that local law-enforcement resources are “stretched dangerously thin” and calls for an emergency stabilizing presence.
In their letter, the lawmakers claim the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area faced eight homicides in a single week and that the murder rate in Uptown is “now 200 percent higher” than a year ago. They also refer to figures from the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police showing increases in aggravated assaults (from 86 in 2024 to 111 in 2025) and strong-arm robberies (from 26 to 31). The letter lists multiple arrests of the same individuals—including one teen with 111 arrests in two years—as evidence of systemic breakdowns.
Thank you @RepPatHarrigan and @RepChuckEdwards for standing with our law enforcement and the victims of violent crime! pic.twitter.com/Uwtlu11qWQ
— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) November 5, 2025
By contrast, the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) released its Third Quarter Public Safety Report on October 15, which shows a drop in crime: overall incidents fell 8 percent and violent crime decreased 20 percent year-over-year. Homicides fell 24 percent while aggravated assaults and robberies fell 19 percent and 22 percent respectively.
The department noted that convictions remain lower for repeat offenders, which continues to fuel public-safety perceptions.
Today, we will be sharing our 2025 Quarter 3 statistics, providing a deeper look into current crime trends, as well as the proactive measures we are taking to combat victimization and ensure the safety of the Charlotte community. From Jan. – Sept. this year, we have seen an 8%… pic.twitter.com/F9csOTOb2I
— CMPD News (@CMPD) October 15, 2025
The disparity between the lawmakers’ letter and CMPD data highlights a tense narrative battle. On one side, the GOP letter underscores anecdotal spikes and repeat offenders as justification for Guard deployment. On the other hand, CMPD emphasizes the downward crime trend city-wide while acknowledging perception issues, especially in certain neighborhoods like Uptown.
