CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney didn't mince words Thursday calling out what he thinks is fueling the sharp rise in deadly crime this year.
[Officer's quick thinking may have saved teen shot in drive-by, police say]
“The only thing they have is a monitor on their ankle saying, ‘Please don’t do this again.’ It’s not a deterrent that we would like. We were against it,” Putney said. “We did it because, at least if you committed a crime, I know where to find you. Our problem is, it’s become an excuse to let people out of jail now and it’s frustrating for our officers.”
Putney also believes that when you combine the electronic monitoring failure with magistrates who are issuing summons instead of sending people to jail, it's too easy for people to get out of jail.
Councilwoman LaWanna Mayfield strongly supports criminal justice reform but told Channel 9 she kind of agrees with Putney.
"That revolving door is a challenge, but at the same time, we over incarcerate," Mayfield said.
In the video at the top of this webpage, veteran crime reporter Glenn Counts sits down with the police chief and other leaders about the unsettling trend.
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