CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cities and airports nationwide are arming their officers to protect the gateways to our country but officers at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport are lacking a high-powered tool to keep people safe.
All of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department divisions are equipped with long-barreled, high-powered rifles except for officers at the airport and it has raised concerns with mounting terror threats from overseas.
Eyewitness News anchor Liz Foster asked why officers at the airport don't have AR-15 assault-style rifles.
A CMPD officer said leaving airport officers without AR-15s wasn't done intentionally.
Travelers were shocked to hear of all places in the city that officers at the airport are not equipped with the rifles.
"One would wonder if that's an appropriate allocation of resources," Mark Kronfield said.
The long-rifle program started several years ago with just a few divisions and it expanded in recent months after terrorist attacks, school shootings and other violent situations law enforcement responds to.
CMPD officers at Charlotte Douglas are issued .40-caliber handguns but not the AR-15s that the other 13 divisions have in their armory.
"There's quite a difference," Hyatt Gun Store owner Larry Hyatt said about the difference between a handgun and an AR-15.
"This (AR-15 is) effective (up to) 300 yards; this (handgun) is probably 25 yards," he said. "That's the big difference."
The commander of CMPD's Special Investigations Bureau said the airport division was never meant to be left out and if something were to happen at the airport, officers nearby would respond with the long rifles.
Some said that may be too late.
Others said airport officers having long rifles won't make a difference.
"I think it unnerves people more than prevents anything," traveler Jay Halteman said.
The department plans to purchase more rifles.
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