Racist Group Texts? Seriously? or Seriously Over Blown?

So it starts with a simple a "you might want to be aware of this..." from the North Carolina SBI.

But like a Halloween monster story it grew legs and a hood.

Local Media:

Three Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers have resigned and three others are facing termination following an internal investigation into highly offensive group text messages.

WCNC Charlotte claimed to have obtained a message reportedly sent by one of the officers to colleagues earlier this year that references how "our texts sound like a clan rally." Personnel records show all were hired within the last three years or so. Four of the seven officers have the same start date listed in their personnel files.

"So, I have not read all the messages," Patterson said. "I can share with you that the biases show racial, sexual; they also show religious biases ... My personal reaction is one of disgust, anger, frustration."

Patterson said CMPD acted "swiftly and decisively" after uncovering the messages. She said each officer faced an independent chain-of-command board hearing that unanimously agreed to cite the officers for termination. 

"I fully concur with that decision," Patterson said. 

The next step involves the Civil Service Board, which has the authority to fire sworn CMPD officers. Patterson declined to share specific details of the case, citing state laws that protect personnel records. CMPD is working with federal agencies to determine if any civil rights violations occurred. 

"I can tell you this. As soon as we learned of this, of the involved officers, we immediately conducted audits of their body-worn footage, we reviewed their traffic stops, their traffic stop data, we looked at their arrest records and we looked to see if any of those officers had external complaints," Patterson said. "As of this point, we have not found any evidence of this." 

Short Version:

• The Allegations: The text message chain among six officers included frequent use of the N-word, expressions of sexual and religious bias, and discussions of a contest to see who could pull over the most Black drivers. The messages reportedly date back several years.

• How It Was Discovered: The messages were uncovered during a criminal investigation into an officer's alleged misuse of Flock Safety automated license plate reader technology.

• Officer Backgrounds: The four individuals involved are from the 2024 CMPD graduating class, and represent three separate races. Their names have not yet been publicly released due to state personnel privacy laws. 

During the October 15, 2026 press conference, CMPD Police Chief Estella Patterson called the text chain "serious and deeply troubling".

• Department Audits: CMPD immediately audited the officers' body-worn camera footage, traffic stop data, arrest records, and complaint histories. Chief Patterson stated that, as of October 2026, the review has found no evidence that residents were actively targeted or that misconduct occurred during their active policing.

• Termination and Decertification: An internal chain-of-command board unanimously recommended termination for all six officers. Because three have resigned, Chief Patterson is seeking the formal termination of the remaining three through the Charlotte Civil Service Board, which holds the sole legal authority to fire sworn members. The department is also pursuing state decertification to prevent any of the six from working in law enforcement again.

• Federal Review: Chief Patterson and Charlotte Mayor Rob Harrington have requested that federal law enforcement partners step in to independently review the matter for potential civil rights violations.

Cedar's Take:

CMPD's fearless leader made it worse:

“As a Black woman who began my career here, in this very department, it is especially painful and disheartening to hear concerns from our community about racism coming from within the ranks of this organization," Patterson said.

Imagine for a moment if she had said “As a citizen of Charlotte …” or as a life long resident or taxpayer or any number of options, rather than throwing race into her statement. 

Why did she do this, just as many in patrol started feeling some respect? So the white shirts are gone but the sense of entitlement remains?

At Thursday's news conference, CMPD Chief Patterson said the officers were of three different races, though she declined to specify which races.

Well there are five choices:

•White: People having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

•Black or African American: People having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

•Asian: People having origins in the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent.

•American Indian or Alaska Native: Indigenous peoples of North and South America who maintain tribal or community attachment.

•Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: People having origins in the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

FYI 

Hispanic is not a race.

Thanks to the Chief, once again it’s us vs them. I’m confused as to how these racist text messages were going on for years, but four of the officers are graduates of the October 2024 training class?

Like Jennings, Patterson spent a minimal amount of time in patrol but I haven't seen a photo of her wearing a traffic vest backwards. 

I know having 2 cellphones is a pain. But don't give your personal number to the department. 

Oddly the FOP is quiet oddly so. 

I've been around COPS my whole life. 3 Cousins, 2 Nephews and a dozen life long friends. Talk is Talk. The endless banter that makes 3rd shift tolerable, roll call less painful and the lack of a sizeable paycheck despite endless overtime bearable.

And one more thing... "let's be careful out there."