CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WNCN) — In a return to her patrolling roots, Estella Patterson has been named as the new police chief in Charlotte.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Patterson is the first female police chief in the city's history.

Folks in the Triangle may know Patterson as the chief of police at the Raleigh Police Department from August 2021 until her retirement in March 2025.

Rico Boyce was sworn in as the new Raleigh police chief the following month. • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson (Credit: CMPD) • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson back in 1996 (Credit: CMPD)

Patterson began her career with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in 1996 and was there for 25 years.

"Patterson started her career as a patrol

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