CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kerr Putney will retire next week as chief of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. 

Deputy Chief Johnny Jennings, who will replace Putney on July 1, already has a lot on his plate when he starts as the city's new top cop.

Jennings started his career with CMPD in 1992, and he said he always had aspirations of one day leading the department. But he admits he couldn't have imagined he would become chief at such a crucial time.

“That's interesting, because I get a lot of people saying, you couldn't have become chief at a worse time,” Jennings said. “I disagree. I think it's a great time because I think we are now open to change, and I'm going to be able to be on the forefront of that.”

This coming week, he's stepping into a new chapter of his nearly 30-year CMPD career. 

“When it's all said and done I hope my name's on that list to say these are the people that were most influential in change within Charlotte-Mecklenburg,” Jennings said.

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When it comes to the job description of an officer the word “change” couldn't be more timely. Debate over defunding departments is raging nationally.

“Some of it really makes sense because across the country, police are asked to do way too much,” Jennings stated.

He clarified that sentiment goes for things like mental health calls and minor traffic accidents.

“That's one of the things that I've looked at across the country that I've actually touched based with other agencies that either they've suspended the use of those or they quelled the use of them,” Jennings explained. “I looked for alternatives. I wanted to see what are some other things that you do, that you can do, that can help control a riotess crowd.”

But, he says he did not find any viable options.

“What people don't understand is a riot control agent is something that just makes you uncomfortable for a while, temporarily uncomfortable,” Jennings explained. “It looks, aesthetically, I understand it, it doesn't look good, however, it's never meant to injure or harm anyone.”

But Jennings won't just have police reform to contend with. CMPD is in the thick of a “mass casualty” investigation where four people were killed and 10 others injured Juneteenth weekend.

“It was devastating to see that Charlotte is capable of having to go through an incident like this,” Jennings said about the case. “I think what you have to do with the families is just let them be assured that we're trying to investigate this to the best of our ability.”

That ability has been strained though. Jennings reinforced something heard all week about the case.

“The challenge is always in any type of incident, any type of criminal activity, if we don't have witnesses to come forward, if we can't get cooperation, as far as people at least giving us something that we can learn to begin the investigation and move forward,” he said.

That's devastating news not just for the victim's families but also the residents and business owners that call the Beatties Ford Road corridor home.

“I think what we have to do is move forward at this point to say it's not just a police problem, it's a societal, it's a neighborhood, community problem, and the expectation that the police are gonna come in and make everything better by themselves, and that's just not gonna happen,” Jennings said.

Even still, Jennings sounds optimistic about leading those that protect and serve a city with the nation's 15th largest population.

“My leadership style and the type of leader I want to be is inclusive. I want to put a teamwork approach to all the decisions that I make,” Jennings said.

He said he'll draw on his years cultivating various CMPD efforts such as violent crime reduction in the city's hot spots and being a major over units such as intelligence and the office of professional standards.

“I want good solid candidates that are looking to make this a career and that are looking to make this a better place, continuously that want to serve our public,” Jennings said.

Keeping in mind it's tough for police departments, he said, when it comes to recruiting people to the profession as well as retaining them, “...that we're also seeing when we have officers that are stepping outside the lines or maybe that this job isn't for them, that we open that door out as well.”

It's a changing of the guard for those that guard us all.

“Ultimately, it's going to be my decision, and my responsibility, but I won't do that in a vacuum, and I want to make sure that both internally and externally that they have input on how we police," Jennings said.

Putney, referred to Jennings as a “man with an unwavering commitment to professionalism, integrity, and leadership.”