Charlotte, NC DEI contracts increased while armed security dropped 40 percent.

quote:

---

The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) has released a Preliminary Special Report on the security contracts for the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS). The report, conducted in response to the murder of Iryna Zarutska on one of the CATS’s train cars, examined the security contract history of the CATS, the fluctuations in security personnel for the CATS, and how solicitation for security contracts was guided by a “Charlotte Business Inclusion” requirement.



OSA reviewed the CATS’s security contracts from 2018 through 2025. Over that time, the CATS had contracted with three firms: G4S Secure Solutions/Allied Universal Security Services, Strategic Security Corp., and Professional Security Services (PSS). Documents provided by the City of Charlotte show there were major fluctuations in the number of armed security servicing the CATS.



The 2018 contract with G4S Secure Solutions had the number of armed security personnel provided for the CATS between approximately 68 and 88. A review of the current contract with PSS, and confirmation from the City of Charlotte this month, has the armed security figure at 39. Accordingly, while the CATS’s security contract value has increased from $5.9 million in 2022 to $18.4 million in 2025, the number of armed security has decreased by at least 40% over that time.

---