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Raleigh names 3 finalists for police chief

City leaders have narrowed the field of candidates for Raleigh's next police chief to three people.

Posted Updated

By
Joe Fisher
, WRAL multimedia journalist
RALEIGH, N.C. — City leaders have narrowed the field of candidates for Raleigh's next police chief to three people.
Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown will retire on June 30, and city officials said they hope to have her successor in place on July 1.

More than 3,400 Raleigh residents responded to a survey about the characteristics they thought should be prioritized in Raleigh’s next police chief. City officials then conducted a nationwide search and considered 31 possible candidates for the job.

The three finalists were identified Wednesday:

  • Rob D. Lowe, deputy superintendent of the Cambridge (Mass.) Police Department
  • Darryl McSwain, chief of police for the Maryland-National Capital Park Police
  • Estella D. Patterson, deputy chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Lowe joined the Cambridge Police Department in 2001. Before becoming deputy superintendent, he served as commanding officer for Day Operations and the Community Services Unit, according to a department release.

A 2018 graduate of the FBI’s National Academy, he describes himself on his LinkedIn profile as “a passionate 21st century policing leader with a commitment to service."

McSwain joined Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, in 2018. Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 424 parks, according to its website. Previously, he served 30 years with the Montgomery County Police Department.

In January, McSwain was inducted into the Montgomery County Human Rights Hall of Fame. According to a news release, he and six others received the honor for their “great personal sacrifices and contributions to human and civil rights in Montgomery County.”

McSwain is also a finalist to become the chief of police in Lincoln, Neb., according to NBC affiliate KTIV.

Patterson is one of four deputy chiefs in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. She was promoted in 2019 from the position of major and joined the department as a recruit in 1996. She also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1996 to 2005.

The 25-year police veteran describes herself on LinkedIn as a “respected and trusted criminal justice leader with progressive, executive experience in building community partnerships, coordinating and directing daily operations, policy development and implementation, and executing best-practices, crime reduction strategies.”

Patterson recently applied to be chief of police in Columbus, Ohio, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
On Thursday, the three finalists will participate in a live virtual forum from 6 to 8 p.m. in which previously submitted questions from residents will be answered.
Deck-Brown announced in December that she would retire at the beginning of April, but that was later pushed back to the end of June.

During her 34-year career with the Raleigh Police Department, she rose through the ranks, culminating with her being named chief in 2013.

Her last year on the job was marked by the coronavirus pandemic and riots that grew out of protests against police brutality elsewhere. But she said she wasn't leaving because of stress or in the midst of crisis, saying only that she felt it's the right time to pass the baton to the next generation of leaders.

"This year, while it should be a defining moment, I do believe that, it should not define who we are," she said during a Dec. 30 news conference. "What it should do is allow us to all look inside ourselves and see how we can be better people, better police officers, better communities, and build those bridges and work towards healing each other."

Deck-Brown has said she has no specific plans for what is next for her, but she said that, because of the intensity of the job, she will need time to decompress.

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