GOP urges Democrat governor to deploy National Guard to Charlotte as crime surges
Citing frustrations with persistent crime, a trio of North Carolina lawmakers is urging Democratic Gov. Josh Stein to deploy the National Guard in Charlotte, saying the state of the city...
By Fox News · Fox News
Citing frustrations with persistent crime, a trio of North Carolina lawmakers is urging Democratic Gov. Josh Stein to deploy the National Guard in Charlotte, saying the state of the city has become "increasingly dire." "Recently, the city faced eight homicides in seven days. The murder rate in uptown Charlotte is now 200% higher than it was a year ago," the letter states. "According to the Fraternal Order of Police, aggravated assaults involving knives or guns have risen from 86 in 2024 to 111 in 2025, and personal strong-arm robberies have increased from 26 to 31 in the same period." Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., one of the letter’s authors, said the request doesn’t just come from the state’s congressional delegation. "This is not just my idea. This is the Fraternal Order of Police that had come, saying that they believed this is important and asking the governor and mayor to step up and do it," Harris said, alluding to a similar letter published by Charlotte-Mecklenburg law enforcement earlier this year. MAJOR CITY POLICE UNIONS SUPPORT FEDERAL TROOP DEPLOYMENTS, BUT LOCAL LEADERS ARE PUSHING BACK The letter’s three signatories, Harris, Rep. Pat Harrigan and Rep. Chuck Edwards, all represent the Charlotte area. The North Carolina letter comes as President Donald Trump has used the National Guard to bring attention to crime in cities like Washington, D.C., Memphis, Chicago and others. So far, the administration has deployed the National Guard to six urban areas and floated deployments in another five — even as courts weigh the use of federal troops to address domestic crime. The letter from the North Carolina lawmakers pointed to those deployments as a template for success. "Other cities have deployed the National Guard and seen positive results. In Washington, D.C., when President Trump deployed troops under his lawful authority, the city promptly saw a reduction in crime, including twelve consecutive days without a single homicide," the letter states. That’s also th…