North Carolina House Republicans are demanding extensive records on violent crime and police personnel matters.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. โ North Carolina House Republicans are demanding extensive records from Charlotteย officials about violent crime, diversity initiatives, and immigration enforcement, claiming the city may be prioritizing “ideological initiatives” over public safety.
The House Oversight Committee sent letters on Dec. 19 to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, City Manager Marcus Jones, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson, and Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) interim CEO Brent Cagle, requesting five years of documents and data, according to records obtained by WCNC Charlotte.
The requests, signed by Republican Reps. Jake Johnson, Brenden Jones and Harry Warren, give officials until Jan. 8 to produce communications, budget records, and strategic plans related to crime, law enforcement staffing, diversity programs, and cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The letters cite the Aug. 22 fatal stabbing of Iryna Zarutska and the Dec. 8 stabbing of Kenyon Dobie, recent fatal stabbings on Charlotte’s light rail system, and express concern that the city has made “significant financial and policy commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” while experiencing rising violent crime.
“This inquiry seeks to understand whether Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s policy decisions, budgetary allocations, and operational practices are effectively addressing rising crime, or whether public safety has been subordinated to ideological initiatives at the expense of residents, transit users, and law-abiding communities,” the letters state.
The committee specifically referenced the Aug. 22 stabbing death of Iryna Zarutska and the Dec. 8 stabbing of Kenyon Dobie, both on the CATS light rail.
Among the materials requested are:
- All communications and documents regarding the two stabbings, crime increases on public transit, and any efforts to “reimagine policing”
- Records on law enforcement recruitment, retention, and vacant positions
- Any funding cuts or reallocations away from law enforcement
- All diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, policie,s and related funding
- DEI-related employee positions and salaries
- Policies concerning cooperation or non-cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Details on the city’s Office of Equity, Mobility, and Immigrant Integration
- CATS security contracts, including a private security deal with Professional Security Services and a $3.4 million marketing contract with Sherry Matthews Group
The committee also requested crime statistics and budget data dating back to 2015.
The letters invoke state law requiring government agencies to provide information to legislative committees and note that lawmakers are exempted from general prohibitions on inspecting personnel records.
“While we understand that you may not personally maintain all the requested documents and reports, we trust that you will fulfill your responsibilities by obtaining them from the appropriate channels,” the letters state.
The Jan. 8 deadline for compliance falls during the first week of the new legislative session.
