Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department: Address, Phone Number, Division, County

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, commonly known as CMPD, is the primary law-enforcement agency serving the City of Charlotte and unincorporated areas of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Its duties include emergency response, neighbourhood patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, airport policing, evidence management and community engagement.

Use 911 when violence is unfolding, a suspect remains at the scene, someone faces an immediate threat, a serious injury has occurred or urgent police, fire or medical help is needed. For delayed crimes and other matters that do not require officers to respond immediately, dial 311. People calling from outside Charlotte or Mecklenburg County can use 704-336-7600.

CMPD operates through 13 geographic patrol divisions grouped into four larger service areas. The department is currently led by Police Chief Estella D. Patterson, who was sworn in on December 5, 2025.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department Quick Information

CMPD is a department of the City of Charlotte, but its jurisdiction also includes unincorporated portions of Mecklenburg County. The department reports a jurisdiction of approximately 411 square miles.

CMPD Headquarters Address

The main police facility is located at:

• 601 East Trade Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202

Telephone: 704-336-7600

Headquarters contains Police Records, Non-Emergency Police Services, Internal Affairs, Property and Evidence and other administrative and investigative functions.

The Non-Emergency Police Services unit handles most delayed reports by telephone and manages people who visit headquarters to file qualifying reports. Its regular service hours are generally from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily.

Residents should call 311 before travelling to headquarters when they are unsure whether a report requires an officer, telephone reporting or online submission.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Patrol Divisions

CMPD divides its jurisdiction into 13 patrol divisions. These divisions are grouped into Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest patrol service areas.

The Airport Law Enforcement operation supports Charlotte Douglas International Airport and the surrounding airport corridor. Lake Enforcement personnel also patrol Lake Norman and Lake Wylie areas within CMPD jurisdiction.

Residents do not need to know their patrol division before requesting help. Dispatchers use the complete incident address to identify the appropriate division and Response Area Team.

Response Area Policing

Each patrol division is divided into smaller response areas. Officers assigned to these areas are expected to become familiar with neighbourhood residents, businesses, recurring crime patterns and quality-of-life concerns.

Patrol officers may:

• Respond to emergency and routine service calls
• Protect victims and secure incident scenes
• Search for suspects
• Interview witnesses
• Collect preliminary evidence
• Prepare police reports
• Enforce criminal and traffic laws
• Work with residents on recurring safety problems

Cases requiring additional investigation may be transferred to detectives or specialized units.

Department Organization and Specialized Units

CMPD is organized into the Office of the Chief and several major service groups, including Patrol, Investigative, Administrative, Special Operations, Learning and Wellness, and Professional Accountability.

1. Investigative Services

Investigative units handle cases that require additional work beyond the initial patrol report. These may include:

• Homicide and suspicious deaths
• Robbery and serious assault
• Sexual offences
• Domestic violence
• Crimes involving children
• Burglary and property crime
• Financial and cybercrime
• Vehicle theft
• Missing-person cases
• Human trafficking
• Narcotics and firearms offences

A report is not automatically assigned to a detective. Assignment generally depends on the seriousness of the crime, available evidence, identifiable suspects and workable investigative leads.

2. Special Operations

Specialized CMPD resources include:

• SWAT
• Canine units
• Bomb response
• Aviation support
• Major Crash Investigation
• Lake Enforcement
• Airport Law Enforcement
• Crime Reduction Units
• Entertainment District policing
• Real-time crime analysis

These resources support patrol divisions during serious incidents, major events and investigations requiring advanced equipment or training.

What County Is CMPD In?

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is located in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

CMPD was formed in 1993 by merging the Charlotte City Police Department and the Mecklenburg County Rural Police Department. Its jurisdiction includes Charlotte and unincorporated areas of Mecklenburg County.

CMPD is separate from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office operates county detention facilities, manages arrest processing, provides courthouse security, serves legal documents and performs other county responsibilities.

Several incorporated towns in Mecklenburg County have their own police departments, including Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville. The exact location of an incident determines which agency should take the report.

Filing a CMPD Police Report

A report may be filed by:

• Calling 911 for an emergency
• Calling 311 for a delayed or non-emergency crime
• Calling 704-336-7600 from outside the area
• Visiting headquarters or a division office
• Using CMPD’s online reporting platform

Online reporting is currently available for:

• Communicating threats
• Harassing telephone calls
• Damage to property
• Stolen property
• Theft from a vehicle
• Lost passports or driver’s licences

The reporting person must provide an email address. After submission, the system provides a temporary report number and a printable temporary copy. CMPD reviews the report, generally within 72 hours, before issuing the official report.

Online reporting should not be used when:

• The crime is still happening
• A suspect remains at the location
• Someone is injured or threatened
• A firearm or another weapon is involved
• Physical evidence requires immediate collection
• The incident occurred outside CMPD jurisdiction

Some additional non-emergency incidents, including fraud, identity fraud, simple non-domestic assault and certain known-person vehicle cases, may be handled by telephone through Non-Emergency Police Services.

Obtaining Police and Crash Reports

The Records Division is located in the lobby of CMPD Headquarters.

• CMPD Records Division
• 601 E. Trade Street
• Charlotte, NC 28202
• Telephone: 704-336-2848

Public counter hours are generally Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Incident reports can also be obtained at a patrol division office during weekday business hours.

Crime reports are available without charge:

• Through CMPD’s authorized online reporting provider
• At Police Headquarters
• At a patrol division office
• By contacting Police Records

Crash reports are free when collected in person from headquarters or a division office. The current online crash-report charge is $9. Access to a crash report is generally limited to involved drivers, registered vehicle owners, passengers and other legally authorized parties.

CMPD no longer provides local arrest-history reports. Those searches are handled through the Mecklenburg County Clerk of Superior Court.

Property and Evidence

The Property and Evidence Division is located at headquarters.

• Telephone: 704-336-2378
• Public hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The division stores crime-scene evidence, recovered stolen property, found items, money, firearms and property held for court proceedings.

Property cannot be returned until the assigned investigator authorizes its release. Owners should bring government-issued identification and any release letter received from CMPD.

After a release notice is sent, most property must be claimed or arrangements made within 70 days. Firearms require a separate background-check and appointment process.

Complaints About CMPD Employees

A complaint may be filed with Internal Affairs by telephone, online, by mail, in person or through any CMPD supervisor.

• Internal Affairs: 704-336-2336
• Watch Commander after hours: 704-336-2141

Written complaints may be sent to:

• CMPD Internal Affairs
• 601 E. Trade Street
• Charlotte, NC 28202

Useful details include the incident date, time, location, employee description, vehicle number, police report or citation number, witnesses and available video.

Complaints can be submitted anonymously. Serious allegations are generally investigated by Internal Affairs, while less serious service or conduct concerns may be investigated by supervisors. CMPD uses a 45-day target for completing most complaint investigations, although complex cases may require additional time.

Certain complaint findings involving use of force, arbitrary profiling, unbecoming conduct, arrest, search and seizure, or firearm discharges causing injury may be appealed to Charlotte’s Citizens Review Board.

Mecklenburg County Jail Information

CMPD does not operate the county detention system. People arrested by CMPD are processed through facilities operated by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.

Detention Center Central and Arrest Processing
801 East Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202

Important contacts include:

• General inmate and bond information: 704-336-8100
• Arrest Processing: 980-314-5100
• Detention Center Central: 980-314-5200

Detention operations and arrest processing are available 24 hours a day. The VINE system can provide information about charges, housing, bond, court dates and release notifications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the CMPD non-emergency number?

A: Dial 311 for delayed crimes and other non-emergency police matters. Call 704-336-7600 when contacting CMPD from outside Charlotte or Mecklenburg County.

Q: How many CMPD patrol divisions are there?

A: CMPD has 13 geographic patrol divisions grouped into four larger service areas: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest.

Q: Does CMPD operate the Mecklenburg County jail?

A: No. CMPD makes arrests and conducts criminal investigations, but the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office operates Detention Center Central and arrest-processing services.

Q: Can a visitor file a Charlotte police report?

A: Yes. A person does not need to live in Charlotte to report a crime that occurred within CMPD jurisdiction. The visitor should provide permanent contact information and retain the report number.