Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson reflects on career as retirement looms: 'Nervous but good'

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- All good things come to an end and that's the case for Raleigh's Police Chief Estella Patterson. In 11 days, Patterson will turn in her badge and move into retirement, at least for now.

Patterson sat down with ABC11 to talk about her next chapter while she also reflected on her time in Raleigh as the city's top cop.

Laughing as she talked, Patterson called out her retirement date: "So my retirement is March 1, March 1, 2025."

When asked how she felt about it, she replied, "feeling a bit nervous but feeling good.

"I just need some time off, so I'm going to take some time, a mental break, if you will," Patterson added. "Spend some time with my family. My husband has been in Charlotte, and I have been here in Raleigh. This is an opportunity for us to be under one roof again."

But talking about the day came with a sense of heaviness after 28 years of service in uniform.

"It is who I am, it's what I love," she said. "And now to think about it, it's retirement and now it's on to the next chapter. It's a little bit unsettling."

Serving and protecting has been her life's work. She proudly wears her badge and doesn't take the duty lightly.

Patterson expressed gratitude for the experience and hopefulness for the department's future.

"First and foremost, let me say to the Raleigh community, thank you. Thank you for three-and-a-half amazing years. Thank you so much for supporting me: the person, me, the police officer, me, the chief, that has meant so much to me."

So what does she think Raleigh needs in its next police chief?

"We need someone that has continuity, that's going to continue the great work and the strides we have made in this city," Patterson said. "We've come a long ways in the last couple of years, and we want to keep that momentum going. I don't think we have room or it's not the time to reinvent the wheel necessarily. I think it's let's take what we have and keep moving forward."

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She had a simple, though not necessarily easy answer when asked what she brought to the department that worked well.

"I brought an energy encouraging them to say, 'Yeah, we are the police, we have a fundamental duty to make sure that our community is safe. We have to do everything to ensure that.' So, I think that energy that I brought, people who know me, know that I go all the time. That's just who I am. I've always been this way. I put in a lot because I expect a lot in return," Patterson said. "So, I think that energy has been fruitful for the organization."

Another success she acknowledged was her keenness to be heavily involved in the community from her days of community policing.

"I believe that if you have the community, its ear, if they're by your side, there's nothing that you cannot accomplish for your organization," she said. "So, we spent a lot of time building, rebuilding, working through communities, even in our toughest communities who were adverse or didn't want to talk with the police. We have been making that push and I think we are seeing the results of that now."

And she's confident she's bowing out at the right time leaving things better than she found them.

"I have no doubt in my mind that this police department is going to thrive, that we're going to continue to do great things," she said. "I look forward to watching it from afar. Raleigh is a fantastic city and this police department is the best that there is."