CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rodney Monroe made history in Charlotte in 2008 when he became the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's first Black police chief.
Monroe was appointed after serving as police chief in Macon, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia.
After serving in the position for seven years, Monroe retired in 2015. Monroe retired having protected and served for nearly 40 years. In his time as CMPD chief, he led the force during a period of steady crime reduction, including the lowest number of homicides on record.
"I would never find the perfect time, so what is the right time? And I believe that now is the right time," Monroe said in 2015.