Community, male mentors needed to lower crime rate, CMPD assistant chief says

CHARLOTTE — Anchor Erica Bryant spoke with CMPD’s outgoing Assistant Police Chief Vicki Foster, who said the circle of violence needs to end.

In 2019, there were 108 homicides in Charlotte, alone.

In Concord, a 13-year-old girl, Avenanna Propst was shot and killed Saturday night at Concord Mills, and a suspect has not been named.

“The fact that no one will come forward, someone knows who did that, someone saw who did that and for a 13-year-old child to lose her life, we should all be in an uproar – everyone,” Foster said. “We, especially in the African American community, have this thing about snitching and not telling and this has been going on for years and it is ridiculous. It is ridiculous.”

Channel 9 speaks with mother of 13-year-old girl shot, killed at Concord Mills Channel 9 speaks with mother of 13-year-old girl shot, killed at Concord Mills

Foster said she believes the culture of not snitching is just part of the problem.

The 28-year law enforcement veteran said she has seen a trend where more young people are unable to resolve conflict and have issues around respect.

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“They have a thing about, ‘I want what I want, and I want it now, so we rob people and kill people,'” Foster said. “I am one of the most honest people out here and it often upsets people, but I will tell you, the majority of those people are African Americans.”

There is no clear solution to stop crime in the area, but Foster said she knows it will take more than police involvement. It will take an entire community.

“If we don’t figure out what is going on with these young men, what’s going on in their lives, which a lot of us know they’re missing,” Foster said. “It’s male mentorship, fathers and understanding life and how they navigate through life. If we don’t figure out really soon, we’re gonna have way more problems than we have now.”

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