Police tower stationed in Charlotte's popular Montford area WSOC TV

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There’s a new addition to Charlotte’s popular Montford Drive that is shocking some people who frequent the hot spot.

A police tower has been placed in the Ten Park Lanes parking lot, along the street that’s packed with bars and restaurants. It was put there after crime jumped 300 percent in one month.

One of those crimes involved a young couple out on their first date in December. The two were robbed at gunpoint in the Ten Park Lanes parking lot, and the robber forced the couple to drive him to Park Road.

[RELATED: Couple on first date robbed, kidnapped outside bowling alley, police say]

“It’s really surprising, because there are a lot of apartment complexes. There’s a lot of bars here. Just scary to think something is this close,” said Brazwells Premium Pub event coordinator Taylor Blanding.

Blanding said the restaurant has increased its security. It has six to seven bouncers on the weekend and is working with other bars and off-duty officers who patrol on the weekends.

Channel 9 found 10 crimes happened in December, compared to three in November. The crimes include thefts, assaults and the armed robbery at Ten Park Lanes.

Blanding said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police crime tower has helped.

“There hasn’t been that much crime happening since they put it up,” Blanding said.

CMPD rotates the towers to different locations as needed throughout the city. They won’t say how long the tower will stay on Montford.

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