Crime & Safety
CMPD Chief Kerr Putney To Retire July 1, Months Early
CMPD Chief Kerr Putney will retire July 1, cutting two months off the retirement timeline presented by city officials last month.
CHARLOTTE, NC — Police chief Kerr Putney will retire from his post leading the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on July 1, two months earlier than previously planned, the City of Charlotte announced Monday.
"It is time," Putney said in a news conference Monday.
"Let's not forget you do have a chief who is already here, ready to be sworn in," Putney said of his replacement, CMPD Deputy Chief Johnny Jennings.
Find out what's happening in Charlottefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Jennings's hire was announced last month, and he will be sworn in as chief on Wednesday, July 1.
"I had committed to getting us through a few things we're tying up right now. The RNC is not coming at the capacity that we thought. And, to be quite frank with you, I can control my own destiny, and that's exactly what I'm doing," he said
Find out what's happening in Charlottefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Putney said he is leaving law enforcement and will be consulting.
In May, the City of Charlotte announced Jennings would take Putney's place in September following the Republican National Convention that had been scheduled to take place in Charlotte in late August.
Putney joined CMPD in 1992 and has been chief since 2015.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
