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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Reginald Harris, who goes by the nickname “Rock,” faces nine felonies for the sexual abuse of a then eight-year-old girl. CMPD arrested him Wednesday, August 6. The Friday before, August 1, Harris retired from the department, seen in an internal memo sent from the Chief of Staff on behalf of Rodney Monroe and obtained by WCCB.
Was it coincidence that days before Harris and his wife were charged with half a dozen felonies, he decided to retire and begin collecting his tax-payer funded benefits? Or did someone, maybe within CMPD, give Harris a heads up that charges were coming?
Deputy Chief Kerr Putney told reporters CMPD started investigating Harris first in 2009 and then again last month. WCCB asked CMPD why Harris was allowed to retire on August 1? The department declined an on-camera interview, but a spokesman replied via email, “Neither Chief Monroe nor the CMPD have any authority whatsoever in granting/denying a retirement to any member of the organization. Officers file for retirement through the NC retirement system.”
WCCB also asked why reporters were told Harris was on unpaid leave. The spokesman said, in part, “(The) Public Affairs office was not advised of his change of personnel status until the 8th of August (two days after press release was issued).”
Vivian Lord heads up UNC Charlotte’s Criminal Justice Department. She says, “I think the agency could have done a little more due diligence to the public in explaining that this individual is retired, therefore is not on unpaid administrative leave.”
52-year-old Harris, who was making nearly $71,000 a year, does qualify for early retirement given his 26 years of service. WCCB asked the NC Department of State Treasurer for an interview about Harris’ tax-payer funded retirement benefits. A spokesman there also declined, but did email us a copy of this statute, that outlines instances were retirement benefits are forfeited.
“The police, as servants to the public, always must rise to a higher level of visibility, transparency,” says Lord.
WCCB is working to learn if Harris’ retirement benefits have already kicked in, if a conviction will impact those benefits and how many other CMPD officers have announced their retirement days before being arrested.
