Precautions for Raleigh’s party district are on the mind for many.
On the heels of a car being weaponized to murder and maim dozens on New Year’s Eve in New Orleans, precautions for Raleigh’s own party district are now front of mind.
It’s something that caused outgoing Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson pause from day one. “When I arrived here, I would go down to Glenwood South and the hairs on the back of my neck would stand up,” she shares. “I was like, this is an incident getting ready to happen—a tragedy will happen down here if we don’t put in some controls.”
She describes the chaotic scene: traffic everywhere, pedestrians overflowing into the street, cruising cars. … “At any moment, somebody could’ve fired shots—anything could happen—and there’s nowhere for people to go. The egress is horrible, and emerging vehicles wouldn’t be able to get into Glenwood South. It was a complete mess.”
To add to the chaos, she recalls escalating district stabbings and noise complaints. “By October 2021, I made the decision in speaking with the city manager to pull officers and assign them to Glenwood South.” And they’re still there three-plus years later. Upping the ante, she says parking-deck patrols, traffic-pattern changes and cars with blue lights have had a huge impact on preventing cruising and crime. While the police presence has all but returned the party district to a protected playground (complete with plenty of noise drama), having to keep officers there every weekend is taxing on RPD.
Regarding any public pushback, she protests: “To those who think the increase is too much police presence, I say, our officers, while there, are not enforcing. We’re not out trying to search and violate people’s rights in any way. Officers are there for presence, for visibility, so people can feel safe. To have conversations with patrons… and to help the area—not to make it a police state where we’re arresting.”
Think establishing the Raleigh Police Department Foundation; successfully recruiting seven Academy classes of at least 50 that all but erased the officer deficit (projected zero by this July) and created a pipeline to help with retirement falloff; turning around an Entertainment District headed for imminent disaster; and steadily reviving the pervasive perception of the dangers of DTR post-pandemic and the murder of George Floyd.
Now, as she prepares to vacate her seat, Raleigh Magazine sat down with the head of RPD to ask what she thinks the top priorities are for Raleigh’s next chief to carry the momentum forward. For starters, full capacity is critical. “Even though we are closing in on our vacancies, we don’t have enough officers for Raleigh and the growth,” she remarks, explaining that a city this size should have 1,000 officers, whereas our current allocation sits at 800.
“I think for the next chief coming in, that will be the work he or she will have to do—fill the vacancies and start asking for more officers,” she expresses, outlining her own would-be plan to request 50 additional officers per year over the next four years for a total of 200—a 25% total increase. “Council is on board with that. We have been talking about that. They know that’s coming.”
To help with retention and recruitment, Patterson also points to police pay as a priority. Beyond cost of living, fairness and employee wellness, it’s about righting the anomaly of Raleigh’s compensation among surrounding and similarly sized municipalities. “Every time we get a pay increase,” she laments, “other agencies around us get increases as well, and it pushes us back to the bottom. We can do so much better as a city. Public safety should be the No. 1 concern—and the residents of Raleigh should support that. Our City Council and our city manager should support that.”
Encouraging the next chief to keep fighting the good fight for fair pay, she adds: “We worked hard for three years fighting for pay. Every single year we got pay bumps. Last year, we didn’t get the 15% we wanted, but we got 10%.”
To continue Raleigh’s upward public safety trajectory, Patterson suggests myriad measures, including more cameras in crime-rampant parking decks and increasing visibility of Downtown patrols—think extending bike patrols, private security and Downtown Ambassadors. “I think it’s helpful to have all hands on deck,” she says. “As many security elements as you can have… that’s more eyes and ears, and it just makes people feel safer when they know people are watching and are aware of what’s going on around them. You wouldn’t want to take away those resources you already have, because, again, we need more officers throughout the city. Period.”
As for the who—perhaps forget flirting with enticing some distant big-city PO. When prompted, Patterson agrees a hire from within could be advantageous. We don’t have to look far to find top talent primed to take the position.
Standout Raleigh Police Deputy Chief of Operations Rico Boyce has spent his entire 25-year law enforcement career in Raleigh, from rookie to second in command—and is thus deeply familiar with our city’s people, needs and trajectory. Accelerating across multiple divisions and through the ranks, Boyce is a clear leader lauded for prioritizing both his department and community commitment.
When we asked Patterson about her take on Boyce as Raleigh’s potential highest-ranking officer, she was candid that he is under consideration and thinks he’s interested in the post. “I think he’s primed to take the reins and move us forward as an organization,” she says. “I believe he has the support of the city—and that’s somebody I would support.”
As she reflects on her time in Raleigh, we asked Patterson what she is most proud of, and she admits it’s hard to name just one. She nods to reducing the vacancy rate: “I think that’s just phenomenal,” she shares. The outgoing Raleigh Police Chief is also “super proud” of acquiring community support to stand up the Foundation. “People can get behind something like that,” she says, “and I’m extremely, extremely proud of that—and the people who support the police.”
She also spends some time reflecting on her focus on employee wellness—making “a difficult profession less difficult on families and officers,” she says, nodding to RPD’s wellness unit, which will offer an outside consultant to work directly with RPD. “Our employees work 12-hour shifts. It’s a very long day for them. They have families, children, a lot going on. So we try to put some things in place so they know they’re supported within the police department.”
While her public approval rating is positive—insiders double down on how well revered Patterson is on the force. Perhaps, most of all, it’s because she cares. “I’ve always been a chief who’s out front,” she reflects. “I’m here with our personnel. … They need to know they are and always will be supported. I really tried to do that as chief and put things in place to recognize outstanding employees and the work they’re doing—really pushing a team environment.” In fact, she shares, RPD’s 2024 mantra was “team together.”
Patterson expects her replacement may be named by her March 1 departure date, saying, “I think we have a strong team, and they will continue the great things we have done here in Raleigh. The future of RPD is bright.”
