CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said publicly Friday that it has returned all radar and LiDAR units back to service after an investigation by Queen City News exposed an issue with the equipment and sparked a recall.
CMPD previously told Queen City News Wednesday that the radar devices were being put back into service.
After multiple requests for information by Queen City News Reporter Jody Barr, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department held a news conference last month to reveal that it had been 15 years since the station’s radar and LiDAR units were properly checked by a certified technician.
More than 170 units were taken out of service, authorities said.
City officials said that the issue was discovered on January 31st when some of the equipment tests were done by technicians that were not certified in accordance with state guidelines, and managers should not have signed off on the test results.
Officials said there is potential disciplinary action but are awaiting the completion of a full investigation.
On Friday, police said on Twitter that the certification issue had to do with “paperwork” and “never had to do with the functionality of the program.”
“The units have functioned properly throughout the entire process,” CMPD said in a statement.
After the recall was announced in February, District Attorney Spencer Merriweather released the following statement:
“If you have been charged with a speeding citation in Mecklenburg County, you or your attorney should appear in court on your court date to discuss available options. You should not pay for your speeding citation online to resolve the citation, as the DA’s Office is unable to review a case to determine whether it was affected by this issue if you use that online service.”
