Charlotte business owners rally for better —and safer Sugar Creek neighborhood

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — “It’s hard for me to get clients and customers and students to come to this area,” said one business owner during the rally.

Sugar Creek area business owners met with other community activists at an open parking lot on Reagan Road Tuesday night, calling for change.

“This is the community that we are looking to work with,” said McDonald’s franchise owner. 

Leaders say Sugar Creek and Reagan Drive are rampant with hard drug usage, trafficking and prostitution. They’re asking for the city’s help to clean up the area.

Charles Robinson is pushing for an increased police presence in the neighborhoods. 

“You just saw 14 prostitutes walking to the store, so that was right in front of you. We won’t have that. And so the officers that are out stopping those cars, stopping the traffic? Then we can begin to figure out a way to clean up the rest of it,” Robinson said. He was one of the lead organizers. 

Robinson also called for judges to help keep offenders off the streets.

Charlotte City Councilmember Dante Anderson walked and talked with ralliers about what they’re seeing on the streets.

Anderson says the city is investing millions of dollars as part of its corridors of opportunity to help mitigate the crime.

“We’ve spent millions of dollars to invest in lighting along these streets because we heard that it was too dark and nefarious things were going on,” Anderson said. “We invested in a program called Safe Biz CLT, where some of the business owners will allow CMPD to tap into their cameras. And so if there are things going on in front of their business on their property, and CMPD can see that remotely from their offices, and then dispatch people as they see fit.” 

Robinson was encouraged by the number of people at Tuesday night’s rally, but he was hoping to see more, especially city and county leaders.

He says they are the ones who could really make a difference.

“Today was a start. We ignited a fire. We’ve been fighting for too long to get relief, and so this is just day one,” Robinson said.