CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One week after being sworn in as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s first female chief, Estella Patterson says her focus is on rebuilding trust, reducing violent crime and filling hundreds of officer vacancies.
Patterson returned to Charlotte after serving as police chief in Raleigh, where the department saw two consecutive years of declining violent crime and a significant reduction in staffing shortages.
When the opportunity presented itself to come back home, it was a no-brainer for me.“When the opportunity presented itself to come back home, it was a no-brainer for me. When Chief Jennings announced his retirement, I said, wow, it would be nice to be able to come back,” she said…