Charlotte‘s new police chief warned that her department is facing critical staffing shortages, as North Carolina‘s largest city seeks to heighten security in the aftermath of high-profile crime. “Right now, we’re down a significant number of officers, almost 200 officers,” said Charlotte-M ecklenburg Police Department Chief Estella Patterson, who was sworn into office earlier this month. The CMPD employed 1,641 officers in 2024. “When you’re short like that, your employees are telling you we’re tired or running from call to call. We can’t take adequate vacation time. And because wellness is so important to me, it is crucial that we get our staffing levels,” she added during an interview with Spectrum Local News. Patterson’s concerns come in the wake of Iryna Zarutska’s fatal stabbing on the Charlotte light rail in the fall, which sparked a national debate over the city’s safety. Decarlos Brown Jr., indicted on charges of murdering Zarutska, appeared in court earlier this month. Oscar Gerardo Solorzano-Garcia was also charged last week with stabbing a fellow passenger on the same light rail.  CMPD data indicate there have been 33 incidents near the Charlotte light rail since Zarutska’s death in late August, including seven thefts and two robberies. Meanwhile, two out of three Charlotte residents reported feeling less safe now than they did this time last year, according to a survey released in early December. Republicans have sought to cast blame on Democrats for the concerns about public safety, saying they have spurred weak crime policies that more advocate perpetrators of crime than victims.  In response, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles has touted large investments in increasing security on the transit system this year, and praised the Charlotte police department for being “proactive in increasing its presence across our city.” “​​Everyone deserves to be and feel safe in our city, and there is no room for violence in our community,” the mayor said in a Dec. 6 statement.  However, critics continue to question whether Charlotte officials are doing enough to promote safety.  OFFICER INJURED IN VAN ATTACK DURING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT OPERATION IN CHARLOTTE Mecklenburg County GOP Chairman Kyle Kirby criticized the city this week for authorizing a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign for the Charlotte Area Transit System after the stabbings.  “It’s pretty outrageous that the city would be allocating $3.4 million for a PR campaign basically to cover up the lack of safety and security on the light rail system rather than actually putting that money to good use where we could have enclosed platforms, we could have a police officer on every rail car,” he told Fox News Digital. ...read more read less