Hidden Valley residents meet with CMPD and demand solutions for high-crime areas

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – Dozens of homeowners in the Hidden Valley community in northeast Charlotte gathered at a church Tuesday to ask police for ways to improve several high-crime areas.

In particular, residents said they are increasingly concerned about illegal activity on Tom Hunter Road and where Sugar Creek Road meets I-85.

“Since we started this journey, they haven’t given up,” said Charlene Henderson, who helped organize the community meeting. “This is a major journey to clean up the Hidden Valley community.”

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) had several people representing the department at Tuesday’s meeting. A lieutenant told the crowd that CMPD had pulled officers from other divisions to help patrol high-crime areas in Hidden Valley.

Crime mapping data In the past four weeks, police have taken 47 reports of assault, 14 of burglary and 11 of robbery. According to the database, 19 vehicles were stolen during the same period.

“Hidden Valley is not a bad place, but you know, we just need some police support here,” said Sylester Goode, who has lived in the area since the 1970s. “I would like to see them riding down the street, waving, but they won’t do that.”

Also speaking at the meeting were a representative from the City of Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity and District Attorney Spencer Merriweather.

“When we call, they listen because they see we’re not playing,” Henderson said. “We mean business and it was good for me to see so many of them out here today.”

CMPD told the crowd that it was also working to revoke the liquor permit of at least one problematic business that allegedly allowed loitering.

Police have also met with cooperating businesses in the Hidden Valley area and recommended they hire private security.

Related: The Hidden Valley community is hosting a prayer march for positive change

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