Huntersville, Cornelius And Davidson Policing Agreement Could Soon Change

HUNTERSVILLE, NC -- Police service for unincorporated areas near Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson could soon change, due to an impasse between Mecklenburg County commissioners and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police contracted to serve the areas. Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday night to sever a service contract that’s been in place since 1996 with the police force to serve the outlying communities.

CMPD performs minimal service for the unincorporated rural communities, commissioners charged at an April 18 meeting, according to The Charlotte Observer. Mecklenburg County pays $18 million each year for CMPD service for 60,000 residents.

Huntersville had requested an exemption from the agreement with CMPD to allow its city’s police force to serve areas closest to its city limits, but was denied. Huntersville Police Chief Cleveland Spruill says CMPD’s response time is too slow, WCNC reported.

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“They stay in Charlotte until a crime occurs in the extra territorial jurisdiction, and they respond only when there’s a call for service in the extra territorial jurisdiction,” he said. “As as soon as they finish that investigation, they leave to go back into Charlotte. That’s not what the agreement was for.”

“That money makes its way into the city of Charlotte’s coffers,” Mecklenburg Commissioner Jim Puckett said. “They are taking the money and then performing whatever minimal service needs to happen.”

Commissioners want options to amend the existing agreement to allow ar, as opposed to the current all-or-nothing scenario, the newspaper reported. City officials are in discussions with county officials regarding the next steps, however, the April 18 vote would end the patrol agreement as of July 2018.

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