After a string of killings shook North Carolina’s largest city, Republican lawmakers are now reportedly calling on Democratic Governor Josh Stein to send in the National Guard, warning that Charlotte has reached a breaking point in its struggle with violent crime.
In a letter, Representatives Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan, and Chuck Edwards pressed Stein to approve a request from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) for National Guard assistance. The lawmakers said the deployment would serve as a temporary but necessary measure to restore order and protect lives amid what they described as a “crisis situation.”
“Until our judicial system ensures criminals are held accountable, there is a compelling case to deter violence through a visible, stabilizing presence such as the National Guard,” the lawmakers wrote. “While calling upon the National Guard is not a long-term solution to Charlotte’s law enforcement staffing challenges, it is an emergency measure designed to stabilize a crisis situation and protect innocent lives.”
The plea comes after a grim stretch of violence — eight murders in seven days — and a reported 200 percent increase in Charlotte’s downtown homicide rate compared with the same period last year. The FOP said assaults involving knives and firearms have risen from 86 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, while strong-arm robberies jumped from 26 to 32.
Harris, who represents the Charlotte area, accused the governor of turning a blind eye to the crisis. “Governor Stein is deaf to the desperate pleas of Charlotte’s police and residents,” Harris said. “He refuses reinforcements to crush the violent crime surge — exposing him and his party as pro-crime Democrats who coddle criminals while ignoring victims. That’s why my colleagues and I are fighting for millions of North Carolinians, demanding we reclaim the Queen City. Governor Stein: Stop stalling — send in the Guard now.”
The lawmakers pointed to a series of shocking criminal cases they say underscore the city’s lenient approach to repeat offenders. One cited case involved Decarlos Brown Jr., charged with the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, after reportedly being arrested 14 times prior to the killing. Another involved a 15-year-old who, despite being arrested more than 100 times over two years, was recently released again.
Daniel Redford, president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police, backed the lawmakers’ appeal and criticized city leaders for failing to address longstanding police shortages. “What is most concerning is that city leaders, many of whom have served multiple terms, have failed to foresee these police shortages and build the ranks of CMPD at a time when attrition was manageable,” Redford said. “The officers of CMPD are now tasked with the burden of their failures, and they grow more and more exhausted as each day passes.”
Supporters of the Guard’s deployment point to cities such as Washington, D.C., and Memphis, where crime rates declined after similar action. The lawmakers argue that a temporary show of force could buy time for longer-term reforms — and send a message that lawlessness in Charlotte will no longer be tolerated.
So far, Governor Stein’s office has not responded to the letter. But as murders mount and public frustration deepens, pressure is growing on the Democratic governor to act — or risk being seen as passive in the face of a worsening urban crisis.
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