Прокурор раскритиковала работу полиции Норфолка за системные ошибки в расследовании насильственных преступлений

‘Poor investigations lead to poor outcomes’: Solicitor slams NCPD’s handling of violent crime cases NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — Just two weeks before North Charleston Police Chief Ron Camacho’s resignation, the county’s top prosecutor detailed deep-seated evidentiary failures inside his agency. Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson sent a four-page letter addressed to Camacho on July 29 and shared that her office had met with Camacho six months prior to address issues, but stated no improvements were made. Outlining “pervasive issues,” Wilson listed her ongoing concerns with the North Charleston Police Department ranging from patrol arrests to detectives’ investigations. “We do not have these issues with other agencies on the scale that we see with NCPD,” Wilson wrote. “When prosecutors who have previously only worked with other agencies handle an NCPD case, they are often stunned by the insufficiency of the evidence and the lack of invested investigators.” Camacho resigned on Monday amid an internal investigation regarding allegations of age and gender discrimination. Mayor Reggie Burgess stated Camacho’s resignation had nothing to do with the HR complaints. At a media conference on Monday shortly after Camacho’s resignation announcement, Burgess was asked about Wilson’s letter. “I take letters like that as an opportunity to get better. If it’s something that we’re not doing right, then we need to get better at it,” Burgess said. Wilson noted specific instances when critical evidence was not retrieved, body-worn camera footage was lost or destroyed, officers were unprepared when testifying in court and important documents were not turned over to the court in a timely manner. “Too often, violent crimes have zero witness follow-up, zero victim follow-up and zero search of the crime scene location,” Wilson wrote. She stated that regardless of the delays, in nearly all NCPD detective cases, Ninth Circuit prosecutors are required to manually review case files because they cannot trust they have a complete file. “We do not have the resources to gather the basic information that you should be collecting,” Wilson said. In one “extreme” homicide case from 2024, the case agent’s notes had still not been completed a full year after the murder occurred. In another 2022 case, prosecutors had been begging since February for a simple signed search warrant return and still didn’t have it. Discovered in body camera footage, Wilson stated North Charleston police officers are heard discussing light sentences given by prosecutors. Offering lighter plea deals, Wilson said “The reason this happens is often due to the lack of evidence NCPD brought forward.” “Poor investigations inevitably lead to poor outcomes,” Wilson wrote. Wilson also expressed concerns over officer training when it comes to handling crime scenes, collecting evidence and following up on necessary interviews. Despite Wilson’s critical letter, she did note the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office does want to work with the department and help them improve. Now, hopeful changes between Wilson’s office and NCPD will be up to Acting Police Chief Scott Perry Read the entire letter from Solicitor Scarlett Wilson below: Copyright 2026 WCSC. All rights reserved.