CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As Estella Patterson starts her new role as chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, WCNC Charlotte has learned how much she is making.

The city of Charlotte confirmed Patterson will be earning a salary of $285,000.

That's about $5,000 more than former CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings made in 2024. Back in September, the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor released a special report on the city of Charlotte’s settlement with Jennings, confirming the settlement totaled at $305,000.

Patterson is the first woman to lead the department. She previously served as Chief of Police in Raleigh, and spent 25 years with CMPD before that.

As chief in Raleigh, Patterson launched a recruitment and hiring plan that reduced the department’s vacancy rate from 150 to 40 in

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