Scope Public safety involves protecting the population from danger and providing help after injury. Typical personnel involved in public safety are police, fire fighters, medics and emergency-preparedness directors. This report covers calls for emergency service, the crime index, motor-vehicle accidents, workplace fatalities, educational opportunities in public safety and evacuation and disaster preparedness. “Calls for service” focus on 911 calls for help. The crime index measures crimes per 10,000 persons, as reported by the police. Motor-vehicle accidents are on-the-road motor-vehicle crashes causing death, injury or property damage. Fatalities on the job show only the number of fatalities on the job that have been investigated or are under investigation for the North Carolina counties within the region. South Carolina does not release such information by county. Educational opportunities show the colleges and universities in the region that offer training in criminal justice, emergency-medical services or fire fighting. The information on evacuation routes and disaster preparedness comes from surveying county officials in the region. Regional Context Public safety has become more important to residents of the Charlotte region. Many have a heightened sense of crime based on media coverage, especially TV. On most nights, local televisions stations lead their broadcasts with stories of crimes and their victims. In the summer of 2007, two Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers were killed in the line of duty. Fear of terrorism is also a factor, based on bombings around the world and in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. Public safety operations include federal, state, county, city and volunteer agencies that must work together to protect the ever-growing population of the region. Essential partners include local educational institutions and hospitals. Public safety cuts across many themes in the overall indicator report. A dramatic increase in population can require an increase in public safety personnel. The region must have educational facilities ready to train and prepare personnel at all school levels, from kindergarten through higher education. A downturn in an area’s economy can lead to an increase in drug and property crime and a lack of housing. Congested roadways lead to more traffic accidents. The health and social well-being of the residents of an area are in the hands of the men and women in public safety. Summary of Indicator Results A growth in calls for service occurred from 2005 to 2006 in 10 of the 14 counties in the region. One county (Cleveland) saw a decrease in calls, while three could not be measured because of missing data. The increases can be attributed to population growth. The crime-index rate dropped for the region from 2000 to 2005, although change in individual counties’ crime-index rates over that time period varied substantially, with some declining and some increasing. Most of the change in crime rates could be seen in the different types of crime, such as violent crime and property crime. Most counties saw a drop in larceny between 2000 and 2005; however, motor-vehicle theft rose in all but four counties. With motor-vehicle accidents, people involved in property damage and non-fatal injury accidents dropped between 2001 and 2005. However, people involved in fatal accidents increased slightly. With workplace safety, investigated fatalities on the job have decreased in most counties in North Carolina. South Carolina does not release information on a county basis due to disclosure rules. Concerning educational opportunities related to public safety, 15 colleges and universities offer public safety courses in criminal justice, fire safety and emergency-medical training. In case of a disaster or evacuation, most of the region is well prepared. Many counties have trained for disasters and have evacuation plans in place. Missing and Future Indicators Data inconsistencies, lack of reliable data and time constraints precluded inclusion of several indicators in the report. Widely differing formats for North and South Carolina made it difficult to compare data related to juvenile crime arrest rates. With hate-crime incidents (bias motivation), cities had data but not counties. To look at homes as a location of injuries and incidents, the authors couldn’t find reliable data listing “home” as an injury location. Gathering incarceration rates proved difficult within the required time. North Carolina has such data by the county in which the offender committed the crime, while South Carolina has data by county in which the correctional institution is located. More time was also needed to study the sites of emergency-medical services, fire and police stations, with an eye toward whether such facilities are located near the resources that need them. In future reports, the authors would like to see regional survey data on attitudes and opinions about public safety, including personal safety in neighborhoods, support for public safety personnel and average response time to 911 calls. Future indicators on gang activity and alternative sentencing also would be informative. A major need is for better comparisons of data across state lines. The 14-county Charlotte region used for this report does not match any other geographic footprint, such as Metropolitan Statistical Area or combined statistical area. Comparing counties in the two-state region is difficult unless data are available on a federal basis. |