CPI Security Hires Former Police Chief as Community Relations Consultant
Retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney will be responsible for community engagement and work to improve opportunities for underserved youth.
Retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney has joined CPI Security as a community and government relations consultant. (Source: twitter.com/chiefputney)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — CPI Security, based here, announced Tuesday the hiring of retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney as a community and government relations consultant.
Putney will work directly with CPI Founder and CEO Ken Gill, who sparked a company boycott in June for his response to an email from a local community organization about recent police brutality against Black people.
Putney, who retired July 1 after serving in CMPD’s top role since the summer of 2015, will be responsible for community engagement and strategic investment aimed at improving opportunities for success for underserved youth, according to the announcement.
“At CPI, our commitment extends beyond providing solutions that keep people safe,” Gill states in the announcement. “We want to improve our approach to engagement, volunteerism, mentorship and investments that align with our organization’s core values and priorities and we feel Kerr is the perfect leader for this initiative.”
During his tenure as police chief, Putney is credited for creating and improving initiatives to provide underserved youth opportunities for life skills development and employment, including youth diversion programs, the CMPD Youth Envision Academy and internship programs.
“I have always been impressed with CPI’s commitment to the underserved in our community,” Putney states. “I’m thrilled to have found a role in which I can continue to protect people and make a real difference to provide access and opportunities in all of the communities CPI serves.”
The Carolina Panthers, among other professional sports teams, businsesses and organizations, terminated their partnership with CPI Security in the wake of comments by Gill that were viewed as downplaying police brutality against people of color.
Gill’s comments came in response to an open letter sent by Jorge Millares, the executive director of Queen City Unity, to city leaders calling for police reform.
“Please spend your time in a more productive way. I challenge your statistics,” Gill wrote in his emailed reply to Millares, a screenshot of which was posted to the organization’s website. “A better use of time, would be to focus on the black on black crime and senseless killing of our young men by other young men.”
Gill later apologized for his remarks, saying, in part, “I have listened to the feedback, and now more than ever realize the need for continued dialog to help end racism within our community. Working alongside our diverse employee base and community partners, I remain committed to being part of the solution.”
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About the Author
Rodney Bosch, Senior Editor
Although Bosch’s name is quite familiar to those in the security industry, his previous experience has been in daily newspaper journalism. Prior to joining SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION in 2006, he spent 15 years with the Los Angeles Times, where he performed a wide assortment of editorial responsibilities, including feature and metro department assignments as well as content producing for latimes.com. Bosch is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mass Communication & Journalism. In 2007, he successfully completed the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association’s National Training School coursework to become a Certified Level I Alarm Technician.
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