Charlotte leaders divided on need for National Guard deployment

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The question of whether Charlotte should expect some sort of federal intervention like a National Guard deployment to deter crime was posed to Vice President JD Vance when he was in Concord this week.

“If the Mayor of Charlotte and the Governor of North Carolina asked for our help, we would absolutely send it because we believe in helping people, regardless of whether they’re Democrats or Republicans,” Vance told a crowd gathered at Concord’s airport.

Previously, President Donald Trump had threatened to send the guard to cities like Chicago, but Vance framed it more as a standing offer.

“We want to go where we can have a real partnership between local law enforcement and the federal officials so that we can root out crime,” added Vance.

But Charlotte City leaders seem divided on the matter. Republican Councilmember Edwin Peacock told Fox News this week that it needs to be considered.

“Continued heightened awareness on criminal activity in Charlotte. We certainly want to see CMPD and our state officials help us as much as possible but we have to keep that option on the table,” said Peacock.

Mayor Vi Lyles, who Vance said would need to give the go-ahead, does not see a need to request the guard. Lyles issued the following statement to Queen City News:

“No, we do not intend to request the National Guard. Charlotte has strong leaders across all sectors who are dedicated to ensuring our community remains safe. We understand the events of the past few weeks have drawn increased awareness to safety challenges we all face. We will continue to focus on what we need to do to ensure a safe and thriving Charlotte, including working with federal, state and local partners on community safety.”