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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson says exceptional service means resolving residents' problems with compassion
Summary
Chief Estella Patterson described her approach to policing as centered on problem-solving and compassion, said she was inspired to join the force after meeting a female officer, and noted she was born in Panama and spoke Spanish as a child.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Estella Patterson said she considers resolving residents' problems and delivering those outcomes with compassion to be the core of the police department's work. "Exceptional service to me is when a person walks away with their problem resolved," Patterson said.
Patterson, introducing herself as chief of police, said her duties include oversight of the officers who serve the city and handling emails and phone calls through which she can help solve individual issues. She said interacting with residents and "solving the problems that they have" is what she loves most about her job.
She emphasized that the department should provide exceptional service "with compassion" and "with the person's . . . interest at heart." Patterson described a formative moment that led her to policing: seeing a female officer at a job fair who inspired and then recruited her to the department.
Patterson also shared personal background: she said she was born in Panama and that Spanish was her first language, though she added that as an adult she now "can't even speak Spanish hardly."
