CMPD Chief Putney retiring sooner than expected, cites Charlotte’s loss of RNC
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney will retire on July 1, nearly two months earlier than previously anticipated, City Manager Marcus Jones announced Monday afternoon.
CMPD Deputy Chief Johnny Jennings will be sworn in as the next chief that same day, Jones said. Jennings was chosen as Putney’s successor last month.
“We felt now is the right time for Chief Kerr Putney to retire,” Jones said during a virtual news conference. “He’s dedicated a lot of sacrifices. He’s led us through some difficult times, and with his input, I think we’re a better city.”
Putney, who had originally planned to retire after the Republican National Convention in late August, said his decision stemmed from the dramatically scaled-down event due to the coronavirus pandemic. Putney said the timing was not tied to a shooting early Monday on Beatties Ford Road where three people were killed and others injured and said his decision to retire is not related to ongoing protests for racial justice and police reform. CMPD faces ongoing scrutiny for deploying chemical agents against a group of largely peaceful demonstrators in early June.
“The RNC is not coming in the capacity we thought,” Putney said. “To be quite frank with you, I can control my own destiny and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
Putney has been a law enforcement officer for nearly 30 years with CMPD. He became the police chief in June 2015, after overseeing CMPD’s investigations bureau, training bureau for new police candidates and the communications bureau, among other departments.
Jennings is currently deputy chief of the CMPD Support Services Group, which oversees the Community Services Bureau. The bureau includes animal care and control, school resource officers, crime prevention, volunteers and several community outreach programs, the Observer has previously reported.
Putney said CMPD must continue working collaboratively with city partners to curb violent crime and spur community engagement. The work cannot turn into a “blame game,” Putney said — adding he will share more on policing tactics in the coming weeks.
The chief said he plans to stay in Charlotte and pursue consulting, where Putney said he would “more vocal” and “a bit more pointed.”
“I am excited and looking forward to the next phase. To the CMPD family — to the city of Charlotte —thank you so much for this opportunity,” Putney said. “I hope I served you well.”
Putney said he was heartbroken he couldn’t oversee the traditional RNC, at one point expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors to the city. Only the first day of the convention will now be in Charlotte, though the RNC says it will hold other business meetings in the city the weekend before with about 330 delegates, out of about 2,500.
“Truthfully, I don’t like to leave anything unfinished,” Putney said. “Since the change is so significant and we’re not really having a full convention, my work is done.”
Last fall, Putney had announced that he planned to retire at the end of 2019 and then come back as chief through the convention. But his plans ran afoul of N.C. Treasurer Dale Folwell, who said a state law prohibits a government employee from collecting a retirement pension with the “intent or agreement, expressed or implied, to return to service.”
Putney said Charlotte will see a seamless transition with Jennings leading CMPD.
“Find your voice and be true to who you are — never sacrifice that,” Putney offered as a recommendation to Jennings. “There are much more successful times that lay ahead for this city.”
This story was originally published June 22, 2020 at 1:47 PM.