Alleged racist texts uncovered in CMPD Flock investigation – Spectrum News

Alleged racist texts uncovered in CMPD Flock investigation  Spectrum News

The N.C. NAACP says texts involving six CMPD officers contained racial slurs, raising concerns about bias and accountability within the department. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An investigation into a former Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer’s alleged misuse of Flock or automated license plate reader cameras has uncovered text messages involving six CMPD officers that the North Carolina NAACP president says contain racial slurs. The investigation began in July after former CMPD Officer Seth Elliott was accused of misusing the department’s automated license plate reader system while on duty. Elliott has since resigned from the department. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed to Spectrum News 1 that investigators collected data from Elliott’s phone during the investigation.

The SBI said that information was shared with CMPD, which discovered the alleged material. Rev. Corine Mack, president of the North Carolina NAACP, told Spectrum News 1 that CMPD Chief Estella Patterson personally contacted her before news of the messages became public. Mack confirmed the messages included multiple uses of the N-word, raising concerns about potential racial bias within the police department. According to Mack, Patterson told her that some of the officers involved had already been terminated, while others had been recommended for termination. CMPD has not independently confirmed those disciplinary actions but released a statement: “We will not tolerate any behavior that contradicts our