9-3-25: Councilman Peacock Talks CATS Safety
Tune in here to this Wednesday’s edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!
Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about Charlotte’s growing concerns over public safety and the urgent issues surrounding the city’s transit system. Joined in studio by Charlotte City Council member Edwin Peacock III, Brett dives into Tuesday night’s high-stakes meeting on CATS safety following a recent deadly incident on the light rail. Councilmember Peacock shares insights from the meeting, which brought together top officials like CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings and District Attorney Spencer Merriweather. He highlights key takeaways, including a need for increased security visibility, better staffing, and more aggressive enforcement of fare policies. Peacock also expresses cautious optimism about new safety leadership within CATS and calls for transparency and data collection to guide future policy. The conversation shifts to broader questions about accountability, the so-called “honor system” on public transit, and how the city can rebuild public trust. It’s an eye-opening look into a system at a crossroads.
Later, Jensen shifts the conversation to the controversial one-cent transit tax that will appear on the November ballot. Still joined by Charlotte City Council member Edwin Peacock III, in studio the discussion explores whether the estimated $30 billion in projected revenue over 30 years could be used to improve transit safety. Peacock affirms that while the plan doesn’t explicitly spell out safety upgrades, there is flexibility in how the funds could be allocated—especially for new technology, fare enforcement, and system modernization.
Listen here for all of this and more on Breaking With Brett Jensen.
To be the first to hear about Breaking Brett Jensen’s exclusives and more follow him on X @Brett_Jensen!
