CMPD Chief Indicates Racist Text Messages May Remain Private

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department indicated that the racist text messages linked to disciplinary actions against seven officers may never be made public. “I have released what I can legally release,” noted Chief Patterson, emphasizing ongoing investigations with federal partners, aiming to avoid compromising them.

In the text exchanges, officers allegedly made derogatory remarks, discussed biased arrest practices, and joked about harm to Black residents, while also showing bias against gender and religion. However, Chief Patterson mentioned that no evidence was found to suggest that the officers acted on these biases. She revealed that the department reviewed body camera footage and the officers’ activities to assess if these behaviors were systemic within the department.

The names of the officers were disclosed, with six resigning and one pending a Civil Service Board review in November. Chief Patterson is advocating for the revocation of their certifications to prevent their potential employment in other departments. Moving forward, she plans to reassess hiring processes and enhance community engagement by holding listening sessions to hear from the public about their experiences.

Furthermore, the FBI is looking into whether any officers violated citizens’ civil rights, and Chief Patterson expressed her intention to reintroduce Transparency Workshops to educate the community about departmental operations.