Estella Patterson Named First Female Chief of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Estella Patterson will make history. She becomes the first woman to run the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department when she replaces Chief Johnny Jennings at year's end. City Manager Marcus Jones brought Patterson before reporters Monday morning at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.

"The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has a long history of incredible leaders," Jones said, per WCNC.com. "Chief Patterson's deep experience with CMPD in addition to her recent experience leading the Raleigh Police Department made her an ideal candidate to continue CMPD's successes but also bring new ideas to further the agency's growth."

Patterson is 53. She shared three main goals at her introduction: cut down on violent crime and chaos, build stronger ties with residents, and hire officers to fill every empty position.

"To the criminal element, hear me loudly," Patterson said, per The Charlotte Observer. "Your actions will not go unchecked."

The incoming chief started at CMPD back in 1996 as a patrol officer. Her recruiting class elected her president. She gave the department 25 years, teaching new recruits, investigating cases for Internal Affairs, and climbing to Deputy Chief over Administrative Services and Patrol Services before she left in 2021.

Patterson ran the Raleigh Police Department from August 2021 to March 2025. She slashed the vacancy rate from 150 down to 40 officers in three years. She built the Raleigh Police Foundation, which pulled in $4 million over two years to pay for programs that boost officer morale and wellness.

Her work in Raleigh drove crime down. The department solved every single homicide in 2024 — a 100% clearance rate. Crime dropped across the board while she led. She fought for a 15% pay raise for officers.

"While reducing violent crime and increasing community collaboration will be my top priority, my number one priority will be to look inwardly within the department to increase morale and wellness because when employees are whole, they can better serve their whole community," Patterson said, per WCNC.com.

Mayor Vi Lyles liked the pick at Monday's news conference. "She is also committed to ensure that every resident no matter where they live, what they look like can feel safe walking down their street, opening their business, sending their kids to school," Lyles said, per WCNC.com.

Jennings became chief in 2020 after joining in 1992. He retires at year's end. "She is an internal hire with deep agency familiarity, but her experience as police chief in Raleigh also gives her invaluable external experience," Jennings said, per WCNC.com.