Chiefs of Police: Davidson (Davidson), Huntersville (Graham) and Cornelius (Baucom)
March 15. The most common crime seen around North Mecklenburg is property crime, according to the chiefs of police who spoke this morning at the Lake Norman Chamber’s Focus Friday discussion. But among the most vexing crimes are those having to do with fraud as well as illegal drugs, including fentanyl.
What’s happening today might not be what’s happening next week, said Cornelius Police Chief David Baucom.
For example, fraudulent electronic messages are sent to unsuspecting members of the public by people masquerade as bank representatives or even law enforcement.
Chief Kimber Davidson, who took over the reins of the Davidson Police Dept. a year ago, pointed out that I-77 is a virtual highway for crime, with bad actors—some of them from Europe—starting in Boston and then heading south into North Carolina, passing through Davidson, Cornelius and Huntersville.
“The judicial system is overwhelmed,” he said.
Magistrate update
Meanwhile, the effort to get a magistrate in North Mecklenburg is moving forward with space set aside at Huntersville Police headquarters.
“It was exciting to hear from Huntersville Police Chief Barry Graham that a magistrate for North Mecklenburg is close at hand. This is an issue that our local law enforcement, elected officials and business community identified almost two decades ago as a critical need for our growing and diverse region,” said Bill Russell, CEO of the chamber.
Teamwork
All three chiefs said the departments work well together “like family” and lend assistance whenever needed, Graham said.
Chief Davidson gave the example of a high-speed chase that ended with a crash in River Run and the suspect fleeing the scene. Cornelius police with a canine officer were on the scene in minutes and found the suspect.
Co-responders
Despite the attention given to crime, about 20 percent of 911 calls consist of non-law enforcement calls for service. Co-responders are licensed clinical social workers who can provide more targeted response and intervention services than a traditional police officer.
In May 2023, the Town of Davidson Police implemented a new co-responder program where DPD and the designated clinician collaborate on responding to calls.
Cornelius is working on a similar position, Baucom said. “Mental health issues are a serous problem,” Baucom said, “but police officers aren’t trained to deal with them.”
Staffing
Unlike many forces around the country, the North Meck police departments are virtually fully staffed.
Cornelius: 66 officers
Davidson: 30 officers
Huntersville: 106 officers
