North Carolina's largest police union has requested federal law enforcement assistance, including National Guard deployment to Charlotte, citing what it described as escalating violence and a staffing crisis.
In a letter Thursday, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 9, told city leaders: "The request is due to the ongoing failure of city and police leadership to address the severe staffing crisis within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which we believe has led to a violence crisis in Charlotte."
Although North Carolina law prohibits public-employee collective bargaining, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police functions as the primary representative body for officers and is often referred to as a police union.
The letter, posted on the group's Facebook page, said there have been 15 homicides in Charlotte since the Aug. 22 killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, who was stabbed to death.
Suspect Decarlos Brown Jr., who reportedly had been arrested more than a dozen times and had previously served more than five years for a violent robbery, is charged federally with causing death on a mass transportation system, which carries up to life in prison or the death penalty.
The federal case will run parallel with the state case charging Brown with first-degree murder.
The letter, written by FOP Lodge No. 9 President Daniel C. Redford, asked for intervention from Mayor Vi Lyles and Gov. Josh Stein, both Democrats, as well as President Donald Trump's administration.
On Friday, Stein signed into law a Republican-backed criminal justice measure approved in response to Zarutska's killing that, in part, bars cashless bail for certain violent crimes and for many repeat offenders.
According to the FOP, Uptown Charlotte has seen a nearly 200% increase in homicides year-to-date compared with 2024. The group also cited multiple shootings that caused serious injuries, including a July 6 attack in which a Charlotte police officer was shot and nearly killed while responding to a domestic dispute in the area.
The group also pointed to two murders on Charlotte Area Transit System property this year: a 21-year-old stabbed and a 31-year-old shot at the Charlotte Transportation Center, along with an assault on a bus passenger it said received little public attention from city leadership.
The letter noted that CMPD's July midyear report highlighted a drop in violent crime, but the FOP said nearly 25 homicides have occurred since then.
Lyles rejected calls to mobilize the National Guard, saying she believes the local community can make the city safer without outside forces, The Charlotte Observer reported.
"I believe in Charlotte, first and foremost," Lyles said. "What I believe is, given the time that we have to work with the White House and other federal offices, that we will not need the Guard to come to Charlotte."
Her comments came on the heels of a critical report from the North Carolina state auditor this week, which found armed security in the public transit system has decreased by about 40% since 2018 despite an increase in security funding and overall personnel, according to the Observer. The report said security spending grew from $5.9 million in 2022 to $18.4 million in 2025, but officials have not explained the decrease in armed security.
Lyles joined other city officials Friday to unveil new safety measures in response to Zarutska's murder.
The city rolled out four utility terrain vehicles and four patrol bikes along transit lines this week. The new equipment will improve officer mobility for Professional Security Services, the private firm contracted to patrol the Charlotte Area Transit System.
But the news conference came too late, according to the union.
"Your press conference Friday is too late," Redford wrote.
"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?"
Lyles said she intends to introduce a resolution on fare evasion at the next Metropolitan Transit Commission meeting. She chairs the commission, which is the policy board for the transit system.
"No one in Charlotte should feel unsafe about getting to work, school, or home to their family," Lyles said. "Safety has been and will continue to be our top priority."
Newsmax reached out to the White House for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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