fbpx
Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

In Keith Scott’s Neighborhood

Why Charlotte cops may have been jumpy serving a warrant there
shutterstock_92369299

A reader writes:

I just wanted to let you know about the area where Mr. Scott was killed in Charlotte, Lexington Circle, is near where I spent 14 years  working [occupation deleted] with international students. Lexington Circle and the area around it are full of apartments where many international students live. When I arrived there in 2000, I quickly discovered that students were being mugged, vandalized, and robbed walking back and forth from the college, the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

Some of the crime was hitting people up for cash. One student was stopped and asked for his shoes.  Some of the crime was very serious. I personally knew of a student being robbed and then kneecapped. Cars were hijacked from nearby apartments. A friend was pistol whipped and deprived of his car. Cars were frequently broken into. Most apartments eventually put up fences and gates.

Part of the problem is that right in the middle of all these student apartments is a Section 8 housing project. Almost every time a student told me about a crime, it was by a young black male or group of young black males. I eventually had the police do a community workshop to educate students how to be safe. At that time the police said to walk in groups. Not with a friend, in groups.

Also, police were riding two to a car during that time. Then, in 2008, two police officers were killed execution-style not far from where Mr. Scott was shot.

I think that in all this talk, not much time is given to the context of serving a warrant in that area. Even though it was daylight, anything can happen. I am sure every policeman in Charlotte still thinks about the 2008 event. I have not seen any reports talking about the context of the area. But it is important. In no way am I suggesting the police were correct in shooting Mr. Scott. I don’t know. But I do know that the area is not safe. Crime still abounds near the campus even in the new apartments.

Advertisement

Comments

Want to join the conversation?

Subscribe for as little as $5/mo to start commenting on Rod’s blog.

Join Now