Carrboro considers combining police services with Chapel Hill

CARRBORO, N.C. Carrboro is exploring whether to combine its police services with neighboring Chapel Hill as it confronts financial pressures and a change in department leadership. The proposal would bring together services now handled separately by the two communities, but neither town can move forward without approval from both town councils.

The discussion follows the retirement of Carrboro's former police chief in September 2026. Town Manager Patrice Toney said that departure, alongside growing demands on the town's budget, created an opportunity to examine how the communities could share policing resources. She described the goal as improving efficiency and public safety while expanding the resources available to serve the communities.

Carrboro's police department also faces expensive renovations to its building and damage to vehicles caused by Tropical Storm Chantal. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will not replace those damaged vehicles. Those costs are part of the circumstances prompting town officials to consider whether combining services with Chapel Hill could offer a different way to manage the department's needs.

The proposal calls for Carrboro officers to move to Chapel Hill Police headquarters on Millhouse Road in groups of five over four months. A Carrboro assistant chief would supervise the division during that transition. Chapel Hill would take responsibility for patrol operations, investigations and crisis response under the proposed arrangement.

Some residents want a fuller explanation before officials make a decision. Elizabeth Gardner, an attorney and local business owner, said she supports efforts to strengthen public safety but remains uncertain about what a merger would change. Her questions include how much the arrangement would cost and how financial accountability would be handled.

Gardner called for specific figures and a written commitment that would help residents understand the services their money would support. “We need numbers,” she said. Her request for more detail comes as Carrboro prepares to gather community input on the proposed combination of services.

A community conversation is scheduled for Thursday at the Drakeford Building. The Carrboro Town Council plans to consider public feedback during a work session on Nov. 10, giving residents an opportunity to share their views before that discussion.

Chapel Hill declined to comment ahead of Carrboro's discussion of the proposal. Its town council has not announced a date to take up the issue. Approval by both councils remains necessary for any merger to proceed.