CMPD: Overall crime down 23% in Q1 2026, homicides rise to 22

Chief Estella De Patterson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the department’s first-quarter 2026 report shows overall crime fell 23% compared with the same period in 2025, with violent crime down 18% and property crime down 23%.

The chief highlighted specific declines: robberies fell 26%, aggravated assaults 18%, vehicle thefts 34% and larceny-from-auto incidents 34%. She framed the results as the product of “proactive policing strategies” and partnerships with residents and businesses. “These numbers are more than statistics,” De Patterson said, adding they represent progress achieved through collaboration.

De Patterson also cautioned that not all trends are positive: homicides rose to 22 in the first quarter from 16 a year earlier. She said 18 of the 22 homicide incidents were cleared by arrest, an 82% clearance rate, and that many of the cases involved people known to one another or intimate-partner contexts rather than gang-related retaliation. “These homicides are not just numbers. They represent lives that are lost,” she said.

The presentation included case examples the department said illustrated the role of community tips in solving violent crimes. In one assault-with-a-deadly-weapon investigation, detectives said tips and a Crime Stoppers lead helped identify a suspect, Lavina Marie Hardy, who was arrested March 30 and is awaiting extradition on charges that include assault with a deadly weapon and battery of an unborn child.

Chief De Patterson urged residents to report suspicious activity—“If you see something, say something”—and to register private camera systems with the department’s Connect Charlotte platform to support investigations.

The department said a press release and briefing materials will follow and offered its public affairs team for follow-up questions.