We proudly support the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Dept.
CMPF is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization supported by Charlotte-area businesses and the greater community.
We provide resources for CMPD programs and keep pace with rapidly evolving technology, skills and strategies the city can’t readily fund.
Every member of the CMPD has a story, one that goes far beyond their navy exterior. Get to know the people behind the badge.
Others found our way here on a twist of fate. A higher calling. Determined to prevent hardships we experienced firsthand. But regardless of how we arrived, we’re here to make an impact.
Click through the following list to see how dollars raised by CMPF go toward real initiatives aimed at reducing crime, equipping officers, protecting citizens and strengthening the CMPD’s relationship with the community.
Reinforcing Our Commitment to Transparency
CMPF raised $450,000 to purchase 1,400 body-worn cameras for patrol officers. This initial funding was also the catalyst for a $7M investment from the city to issue body-worn cameras to all patrol officers. More recently, CMPD deployed cameras to SWAT, the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, other tactical units and all officers working secondary employment, making Charlotte the first major city to equip all officers with body-worn cameras. It’s just one of the ways the CMPD is proving its commitment to transparency and, as a result, has seen a 30% reduction in external complaints since the full launch of the program.
Learning from Each Other
CMPF donated $25,000 to provide textbooks, facilitation, speakers and seminar fees for CMPD Command College, a 25-member formalized leadership program designed to inspire regional enforcement departments to share best practices in crime reduction.
In February 2024, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation committed $100,000 to CMPD for their Clinical Care Access Pilot (CCAP). To prevent financial barriers to care after being exposed to a traumatic incident, the pilot provides reimbursement to employees for outpatient counseling or in-patient care. Collaborating closely with the Office of Employee Wellness at CMPD, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation has provided funding to the department specifically tailored to cover expenses for therapy services.
Solving More Crimes without Warm Leads
CMPF provided $150,000 to establish a CMPD crime lab and test evidence from 158 cold cases ranging from homicides, rape, sexual assaults and other violent crimes.
Creating Meaningful Connections
CMPF donated $50,000 for community events designed to inspire candid and meaningful conversations and foster lasting relationships between the police and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community.
Improving Crime Scene Investigations
CMPF pledged $8,000 for a Power Moon specialized lighting system for the Major Crime Scene Investigation truck. This equipment has greatly improved crime scene investigators’ ability to detect, locate and photograph critical evidence at crime scenes.
Increasing Crime Lab Efficiencies
CMPF provided $90,000 toward DNA testing equipment for the CMPD crime lab. The new robotic technology improves the efficiency of DNA testing and evidence sample processing. More than 10,000 DNA samples have been tested using the new automated equipment.
Helping Officers Keep Track
CMPF pledged $110,000 to seed a pilot program to lease and monitor 100 ankle bracelet devices with GPS tracking for offenders on pretrial release awaiting adjudication of charges. The program has since grown into a full-time unit funded by the CMPD operating budget consisting of a sergeant, 8 officers and 2 civilian personnel managing up to 1,200 offenders each year.
Maintaining a Safer Work Environment
CMPF contributed $58,000 to purchase and install fire extinguishers in all CMPD vehicles to prevent injury and loss of life.
Establishing a Welcoming Community
CMPF supplied $50,000 to allow area law enforcement to participate in the Go Global NC’s Latino Initiative Program, designed to promote the successful integration of new Latino residents into our community.
HELP OUR HEROES
On Monday, April 29, 2024, officers with the US Marshalls Fugitive Taskforce went to a residence in east Charlotte to arrest a convicted felon. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officer Joshua Eyer, North Carolina Department of Adult Correction officers William “Alden” Elliott and Samuel Poloche and Deputy US Marshall Thomas Weeks were killed. Three additional CMPD officers and one detective from the Statesville Police Department were also shot.
After the shooting deaths, the community has asked how they can help. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation assisted by creating a Help Our Heroes fund. The fund has allowed employees of the local public safety, first responder agencies impacted by the events to receive mental health care. Additionally, impacted agencies will use the funds to assist with needs identified after the incident to support their employees.
Taking Accountability in the Field
CMPF donated a mobile Firearms Training Simulator (FATS® L7) to support judgment training for police officers who often face split-second decisions every day.
Increasing Access on the Go
CMPF raised $11,000 to purchase mobile fingerprint scanners that allow police to verify identities out in the field.
Protecting Officers in the Line of Duty
CMPF pledged $10,000 for CMPD to purchase 300 doses of NARCAN, an emergency treatment for opioid overdose, for CMPD employees most likely to be exposed to Fentanyl, a potentially lethal opioid that can be absorbed through the skin.
Increasing Visibility in High-Risk Situations
CMPF purchased two Thermal Imaging devices valued at $10,000 for the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) to aid in the detection of suspects who have barricaded or hidden themselves.
Protecting the Freedom to Assemble
CMPF donated $146,200 to cover the cost of 16 anti-vehicle barriers, two trailers and related equipment to separate and secure areas with large crowds; improving an important part of CMPD’s security plan to protect its citizens.
It’s having the courage to face challenges head on. To deal with our shortcomings. To be vulnerable. To do what’s right, not what’s easy. That’s why we support the brave people who give their all to make Charlotte-Mecklenburg a better place to live.
“The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation has transformed the way the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) polices and engages the community. It’s because of their generosity that CMPD has been at the forefront of cutting-edge resources and technology.”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation invests in creating a safer community by supporting efforts to pilot new strategies and improve officer safety and effectiveness, while promoting trust in and support for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
In 2022, we funded a study completed by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte of the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office and found it to suffer from severe staffing shortages. The number of Assistant District Attorney’s (ADAs) and support staff does not compare with regional and national counties with similar crime rates and equivalent population sizes. The lack of personnel resources impacts effective case prosecution and prevents justice being served for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community.
A link to the full report-http://Police Foundation Report – FINAL
