CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you're ever involved in a car crash in Charlotte, don't be surprised if you don't see the familiar blue flashing lights in your rearview mirror. Instead, you might spot a white car adorned with bold lime-and-blue coloring coming to assist.

It's all part of a new initiative by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department aimed at streamlining responses to non-emergency crash calls, giving residents an alternative to get the help they need.

What You Need To Know

  • CMPD unveiled the Civilian Crash Investigative Unit to free up officers to respond to serious crashes

  • Kandyce Odwin is one of 15 crash investigators at CMPD

  • CMPD said it's seen success with the new program and assisting officers in answering calls that are non-injury or noncriminal related

It's called the Civilian Crash Investigative Unit, and it's made up of civilian crash investigators.

Kandyce Odwin has gone through extensive training to wear the uniform and respond to calls. 

"In the timeframe from when I got the call and when I started was very quick. So I had to pack and everything," Odwin said.

She's one of 15 investigators in Charlotte.

While the team isn't large, CMPD Capt. Brian Hofert said it won't reflect the impact they'll have in the city.

“About 70% of the crashes that we respond to are not serious injury crashes and don't have a criminal element to it that these folks can take. So to be able to free up officers, to be in the community and respond to the calls and just help eliminate the stress of waiting, I think is going to be huge," Hofert said.

Concerns have been raised about the investigators and their legitimacy. Hofert said there's no reason to be concerned with civilians showing up to the scene.

“These folks are employees of the city of Charlotte, they are part of the Charlotte police department. They don't look like police officers. Their trucks don't look like police officers, but they are full-time paid employees that do this job," Hofert said.

In fact, these civilians don’t get the position easily. There are hours of training that is required before putting on the jacket.

"They do two weeks of classroom training and four weeks of field training just on accidents alone," Hofert said. "So that's six weeks of training. An officer doesn't even get that much training just for an accident report.”

CMPD is one of the first departments in the state to roll out the program, according to Hofert.

Odwin said she feels honored to be part of that.

"It's an amazing opportunity and when we started with training, I just was filled with gratitude because it's one of its kind. It's not something that is everywhere, and we're the blueprint and could potentially inspire other police departments to take on this program,” she said.

She's not the only one who’s proud, she said her family is too.

"My aunt is amazed that I get to utilize the radio like officers. So if I'm on break or something and she hears the radio, she'll be like, 'Oh my gosh, I can hear it.' And my mom is super proud. My dad was ex-military, and she just always says he would be so proud of you," Odwin said.

While her father can’t be here to see her in uniform today, she said every time she puts it on … it’s for him.

"I know that this is something that he would be super proud of, and my uncle is NYPD, and he was super proud and agreed that I look like my dad. So I know that I'm making him proud by being a part of this," Odwin said.

If there’s an accident, you’ll still call 911 as you normally would. Except now dispatch operators will decided if a CCI or an officer is sent depending on the scene.