Why a civilian might respond to your fender bender instead of police

• It also speeds up response times. Waiting for a police officer to come take a minor crash report could take hours.

How it works: CMPD's 15 investigators are non-sworn department members who completed a six-week certification program through the North Carolina Justice Academy. They respond only to crashes with property damage — no injuries.

• Civilians wear body cameras and are trained to call for backup in suspected cases of DWI, illegal contraband, hit-and-runs, lack of insurance or suspended licenses, and other violations.
• Since the program's start in December 2024, investigators responded to 306 minor crashes by the end of the year.

Between the lines: Civilian investigators can't arrest people, and they don't wear police uniforms.

Flashback: CMPD pushed for legislation allowing civilian investigators to respond to non-injury car crashes. The new law took effect in July 2023.

• Other North Carolina cities — such as Wilmington, Greensboro and Burlington — have implemented similar initiatives.
• Before this change, officers spent about 30,000 hours a year responding to minor crashes.

What they're saying: CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings says officers praise the program because it frees up time for higher-priority calls, boosting morale.

What's next: CMPD is considering doubling the number of civilian crash investigators.