Police union urges leaders to deploy National Guard to tackle Charlotte crime

CHARLOTTE — The Fraternal Order of Police says it plans to ask federal, state, and city leaders to authorize the National Guard to respond to violent crime in Charlotte.

Channel 9 received an advance copy of the letter from the union, which represents more than a thousand CMPD officers. It calls CMPD’s current crime-fighting strategies and strained staffing “unsustainable.”

The letter goes on to note that there have been 15 homicides since the killing of Iryna Zaruska on the light rail at the end of August despite the actions taken by city leaders.

>> CLICK HERE for complete coverage of the light rail stabbing

This comes as city leaders are set to outline their plan for safety on Charlotte’s transit system Friday morning. The plan could include creating a separate police force to respond to crimes on the light rail.

The full letter reads:

City Leaders,

On behalf of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #9, this letter serves as formal notice of our intent to request federal law enforcement assistance, including the National Guard, from Mayor Vi Lyles, Governor Josh Stein, and President Donald J. Trump’s administration. This request is due to the ongoing failure of city and police leadership to address the severe staffing crisis within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), which we believe has led to a violence crisis in Charlotte.

In the past two days, we’ve witnessed a double homicide and the shooting death of a 16-year-old in Uptown Charlotte, an area with a triple-digit percentage increase in homicides. Last weekend, three people were murdered in our city. Additionally, we’ve experienced multiple shootings resulting in serious injuries. Despite these alarming incidents, leadership continues to downplay the impact of staffing shortages, as outlined in my recent correspondence to you.

The murder of Iryna Zarutska on August 22, 2025, brought national attention to Charlotte. Yet since her death, more lives have been lost to gun violence, despite the so-called “actions” taken by city leaders.

The current crime-fighting strategies and strained staffing are unsustainable. They place an unacceptable burden on our officers and jeopardize both their safety and the public’s. With discussions already underway regarding National Guard and federal involvement, we believe the time has come to formally request their assistance to relieve pressure on our rank-and-file members before more of our citizens die and our officers get hurt.

In July, CMPD released its mid-year report, highlighting a significant drop in violent crime. However, since that report, Charlotte has experienced nearly 25 homicides—including a mass shooting that left five additional victims injured. A CMPD officer was shot and nearly killed while responding to a domestic dispute in Uptown on July 6th.

Despite statistical progress, violent crime continues to be a daily reality in Charlotte. These reductions also conceal the significant human toll on each officer who made this possible. The need for immediate, tangible support has never been more urgent. According to the National Fraternal Order of Police’s 2021 Critical Issues in Policing Survey, nearly 6,000 current and retired sworn officers responded that “staff shortages, an organizational stressor, are rated as more stressful than a colleague being killed or killing someone in the line of duty.”

As the voice of 1,690 CMPD officers who are members of the FOP, we demand immediate results. Your safety press conference tomorrow is too late. Too many lives have already been lost while waiting for action. Why has it taken so long to address safety concerns when we have been raising alarms for years? It has been proven that a strong police presence deters crime by eliminating or reducing opportunities—something only the federal government can quickly remedy.

As we seek relief through federal and National Guard support, I urge Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, City Manager Marcus Jones, and the rest of the council to back our request. I remain open to a serious, solution-driven dialogue with each of you. However, if silence and inaction persist, and staffing does not significantly improve quickly, CMPD officers will continue to seek employment with agencies that recognize and respect their service, dedication, and well-being, further worsening the staffing crisis.

Respectfully, Daniel C. Redford

President, NC FOP Lodge #9

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