A 23-acre police training facility is being quietly planned near Central Piedmont’s Levine Campus in Charlotte, and the public has been shut out.

When community members tried to attend CPCC Board meetings to learn more, many were turned away. Some were told to show ID just to enter. Others were denied agendas. A few were even threatened with arrest or banned from campus entirely for simply asking questions.

While the project moves forward, Charlotte residents are being left in the dark. The facility, described as a space for emergency response and police training, includes tactical driving tracks, mock streets, and simulated response zones. CPCC calls it “Community Lifeline.” But residents calling it “Cop City” are raising serious concerns about secrecy, safety, and public trust.

This project uses public land. It is funded by public dollars. And it could have real, lasting consequences for how policing is trained and carried out in our city. The public deserves full transparency before construction begins.

We are calling on CPCC to immediately release all documents related to the facility, reverse the campus bans issued to peaceful attendees, and pause development until a public forum is held and the community is fully informed and heard.

Charlotte deserves a say. No Cop City without public input.

Sign now to demand transparency, accountability, and a voice in decisions that affect our neighborhoods.