CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kevin Canty, a chief deputy to Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden, has resigned from the agency, according to a letter sent to McFadden which was obtained by WCNC Charlotte.
In the letter, Canty takes several shots at McFadden, accusing him of running the agency "into the ground" and demoralizing the men and women who work there. Canty also accuses McFadden of being insecure and taking credit for successes while blaming others for all the problems under his watch. The letter cites alleged abuse of power, unprofessionalism and racism.
"The MCSO functions like a third-world dictatorship with no one following the chain-of-command, which you openly and repeatedly flaunt and encourage staff not to follow," the letter reads in part. "This has resulted in pure chaos. In my 33 years of law enforcement experience with now four agencies, I have never witnessed such dysfunction. I have never worked in such a toxic and abusive environment and have never seen an agency head conduct himself in such a classless and abusive manner as you."
Canty went on to say Mecklenburg County deserves better than McFadden, calling his conduct "embarrassing."
"I have watched you marginalize and retaliate against not only me, but against anyone who dares to push back against your endless onslaught of insults and condescending language," Canty wrote.
The sheriff's office responded to a request for comment from WCNC Charlotte with a statement from McFadden:
We are a great agency and we always have been. We will continue to be a great agency and I am confident that we will be an even better agency tomorrow than we are today.
The office said it could not comment on personnel matters due to state law.
Canty was sworn in back in February 2024, according to a post from the sheriff's office Facebook page. His resignation was tendered almost nine months later.