Mecklenburg County Sheriff McFadden to Attend State of the Union with Rep. Alma Adams

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (D, NC-12), will attend President Biden’s State of the Union address tomorrow night at the U.S. Capitol with the rest of the U.S. Congress and her guest, Mecklenburg County’s elected Sheriff Garry L. McFadden.  

A thirty-seven-year veteran of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), Sherriff McFadden is one of the most decorated law enforcement officers in the history of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. He is also the 2015 Charlotte Citizen of The Year, 2020 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Citizen of the Year, Founder of “Cops and Barbers,” and a member of two White House Task Forces dating back to 2015. 

Rep. Adams staunchly supports President Biden’s efforts to reduce violence and access to weapons for young people, as well as his fight to provide tax relief and more support for working class families to ensure opportunities keep kids away from crime. She is bringing Sheriff McFadden to highlight his forward-focused efforts to reduce gun violence in Mecklenburg County and to celebrate strong and steady reductions in crime under President Biden. 

“Sheriff Garry McFadden has created a model for the nation to follow in reducing youth violence and forging community partnerships. He builds relationships between police officers and students in schools, creating positive memories and trust between young people and those sworn to protect them. His officers come from and look like the community they police. Sheriff McFadden has shown a humane and hopeful way to build long-term safety, security, and opportunity for the people of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. I am honored to have him as my guest to celebrate historic reductions in crime under President Biden’s exemplary leadership of our country,” said Rep. Adams. 

"I am honored to be attending the State of the Union as the guest of Congresswoman Dr. Alma Adams. Through unwavering dedication and commitment, I vow to continue fighting the gun violence and fentanyl epidemics – both which we know have claimed one too many lives – and championing mental health initiatives,” said Sheriff McFadden. "Protecting our community isn’t just about enforcing the law; I will use this platform to implement proactive approaches to these ongoing problems, so we can prevent more deaths, better safeguard families and foster trust within our community.” 

Sheriff McFadden’s attendance underscores Rep. Adams support for law enforcement in her district, and in particular, Sheriff McFadden’s approach toward reducing youth violence through community engagement and reduced access to weapons. Sheriff McFadden has worked to keep police and communities enveloped, putting police officers in schools to protect students and build mentoring relationships that prevent later paths toward crime. He and his office have established the “ESCAPE Summer Camp” (Excelling Scholars Conquering Achievements Pass Expectations), which is massively expanding in its second year after enthusiastic growth in popularity. Sheriff McFadden supports efforts to reduce youth access to guns and especially weapons of war. 

Rep. Adams also supports Sheriff McFadden’s humane approach to law enforcement and incarceration. Sheriff McFadden refers to all inmates in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center as “residents,” reflecting their innocence until proven guilty and the temporary nature of their incarceration.  

“While he enforces the law, I admire his commitment to the humanity of those within the criminal justice system – for example, referring to those in county jail as 'residents,'” Rep. Adams said. “I trust his judgment and his commitment to reducing access to weapons of war and gun violence in our community. Further, I support President Biden’s efforts to restore the ban on assault weapons. I will continue to support President Biden’s efforts to provide families with resources and opportunity to deter young people from the lure of a life of crime.” 

Sheriff McFadden spent thirty years as a detective and twenty-two of those in the homicide unit. He retired from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department on July 31, 2011, and was immediately re-hired by the City of Charlotte and assigned to work in the Office of the Chief to the Community Relations Unit to help implement programs within the community.  

In 2015 while working for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Sheriff McFadden and three local barbers created a community initiative called, “Cops & Barbers,” which captured the attention of “The President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing,” earning an invite from President Barack Obama to the White House. President Obama considered this vision as one of the top ten initiatives in creating meaningful relationships in communities. 

As a detective with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Sheriff McFadden never lost a homicide case during a trial. He has been featured on America's Most Wanted, The First 48, The Justice Files, and has been a contributor to People Magazine along with several national media outlets. He was also featured on Discovery Channel’s I Am Homicide, a docuseries highlighting a few of Sheriff McFadden’s most complex homicide cases during his tenure as a homicide detective with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.  

In 2018, Sheriff McFadden was elected the first African American Sheriff in the history of Mecklenburg County. Now serving in his second term, he is a member of President Biden’s Office for Gun Violence Prevention. He has been an active member of the NAACP since his youth, serving as College Chapter President, Regional Security Director and a National Security Advisor at different periods. 

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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.