The City of Charlotte has announced Friday that Estella Patterson will become the next Chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), making her the first woman to hold the position in the city's history.

Patterson, who began her law enforcement career with CMPD in 1996, returns to the department after serving as Raleigh's police chief from 2021 to 2025, according to a news release.

During her time in Raleigh , Patterson implemented a successful recruitment plan that reduced the department's vacancy rate from 150 to 40 in three years and established the Raleigh Police Foundation, which raised $4 million to support employee morale initiatives. Under her leadership, Raleigh achieved a 100% homicide clearance rate in 2024.

"I am deeply humbled and honored to return to C

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