BY REP. TODD CARVER
Speaker of the House Destin Hall and Senate President Phil Berger held a joint press conference last week to discuss how the deadly stabbing on the Charlotte light rail system would impact the GOP’s legislative agenda. Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Raleigh during the week of September 22. If there is something we can do to prevent future violence, I hope we will act upon it.
Before we discuss what I hope to see happen, let’s lay a foundation.
My background in law enforcement was very much impacted by the community policing movement of the 1990s. For those who are not familiar, community policing is built upon the idea that police and communities have to work together to solve crime and issues related to the fear of crime. Sir Robert Peel is first credited with the idea from the founding of the London Metropolitan Police Department. He said that police should focus on solving problems of disorder, like graffiti and vandalism, to reduce larger crime problems. When lower-level crimes are tolerated, then more serious crimes will become an issue within a community.
This brings me to the tragic stabbing of a passenger on the light rail. The practice of not pursuing fare violators on the light rail invited the perpetrator and the victim into the same space. If fare violations are tolerated, what else will slide by?
Community policing was never meant to be soft on crime. The job of community policing also can’t be subcontracted out to a third-party vendor. Police officers who are invested and work with the community should be tasked with keeping light rail passengers safe. I have heard firsthand accounts about contracted officers dealing with problems where the suspect simply steps off the property to hurl insults and obscenities, which create disorder. It will come with a higher price tag, but the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department – not a contracted third party — should be patrolling the light rail.
Bail reform is another area lawmakers should consider. Bail is an essential element of the criminal justice system. We cannot afford nor do we need to keep every person accused of a crime in our local jails. Bonds serve two purposes: they ensure the accused will return to court to answer for an alleged crime and they are designed to protect the community from dangerous people. Those who argue for a cashless bail system have never had to chase down a person who refused to come back to court and stand trial. Cashless bails do not work because there is no financial incentive to comply. Catch and release only works with fishing because you want the fish population to grow.
One thing I know that has created some objections but seems to work is printing the criminal histories of career offenders when they are re-arrested. Printing the name of the magistrate who sets a particular bond is also an important part of holding all of our criminal justice partners accountable. Magistrates have a tough job, and they are important gate keepers for our county jails. If we have a magistrate who isn’t considering public safety when setting a bond, the public has a right to know about it. I would also propose a system where magistrates are appointed for their first term but then are elected for second and subsequent terms. Being held accountable to the electorate might bring about the changes we hope to see in our criminal justice system.
I look forward to working with other lawmakers to create sensible solutions to our crime problems. We need solutions that have demonstrated effectiveness and are cost efficient. Simply giving the Mecklenburg County District Attorney more money to create more diversion programs will not prevent another horrific crime on the light rail or in the City of Charlotte. We also need to be wary of laws which tie the hands of the entire state because a couple of the larger counties refuse to faithfully execute their responsibilities to govern.
I welcome your questions or concerns. If I can ever help you or your family, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Rep. Todd Carver represents the 95th District in the N.C. House. Email him at todd.carver@ncleg.gov