Chief Estella Patterson cited improving employee morale as one of her three top priorities when she returned to the Queen City in December 2025 to lead Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Her successful advocacy for a 10% increase in sworn officer pay in the City of Charlotte’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget is proof of that commitment.
“I want to be known as the chief who cares about her people,” said Patterson in a May 2026 interview with WCNC-TV. “Their well-being, their health, their wealth, everything related to that holistically, is of concern to me.”
Patterson doesn’t just see more competitive officer pay as a way to retain good officers – it’s also vital for recruitment and, taken together, essential to decreasing the department’s 9% overall vacancy rate.
It’s difficult, Patterson recognizes, for the department to adequately serve Charlotte residents when sworn officers are stretched thin by running from call to call and working excessive overtime with no space to decompress.
“Because wellness is so important to me, it is crucial that we get our staffing levels to where we have flexibility…so people can take time off,” she said in an interview with Spectrum News shortly after being sworn in as chief.
Reducing vacancies and improving morale are priorities Patterson knows a thing or two about. Prior to her current role, she served as Chief of Police in Raleigh, N.C., where she decreased the department’s staffing shortage by 70%.
If current recruit class trends continue, Patterson expects Charlotte’s sworn officer positions to be fully staffed within the next few years – at which time, she plans to ask Charlotte City Council to approve more positions so the department’s growth can keep pace with the City’s.
Being part of a fully staffed department and earning competitive salaries are two ways Patterson believes CMPD can ensure its officers and employees feel seen and supported. Having access to the tools and equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively is another. This includes everything from squad cars to virtual reality training equipment.
Patterson’s leadership philosophy is clear:
“It has to be about your people, your team.”
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