Gov. Perdue Meets with Highway Patrol Leadership, Announces Reforms
 

Raleigh – Gov. Bev Perdue today met with the entire leadership of the Highway Patrol to make clear her expectations for every trooper and to announce reforms, including zero tolerance for illegal or unethical behavior.

“There will be zero tolerance for bad behavior,” said Gov. Perdue.  “If you betray your oath to uphold the law or betray the Patrol code of conduct, you will be dismissed.”

During the meeting Gov. Perdue announced the following reforms:

·         All troopers will go through ethics training and will sign a code of conduct;

·         All supervisors will go through ethics and management training;

·         The Patrol code of conduct and oath will become the litmus test – betray the oath and you will be dismissed; and

·         Within the next 60 days, Secretary of Crime Control Reuben Young and Highway Patrol Commander Colonel Randy Glover will deliver to the governor a plan to restructure Highway Patrol leadership.

Perdue spoke at the conclusion of a two-hour meeting of Highway Patrol leadership led by Sec. Young and Col. Glover. During the meeting of some 160 officers, Glover outlined changes in Highway Patrol practices.  Gov. Perdue emphasized that public perception has become reality and that only with strong leadership and direct attention to the activities of the troopers in the districts will the reputation of the Patrol be restored.  She called upon those district leaders to step up their involvement with those they oversee.

In addition, Sec. Young announced eight immediate changes for the Highway Patrol:

1)      Review internal personnel policy to better reflect the law that members serve at the pleasure of the Governor.

2)      Re-organization and re-deployment of members from patrol headquarters to the field.

3)      Increase sexual harassment and ethics training and include instruction from subject matter experts outside of the Patrol.

4)      Patrol members disciplined with less than a dismissal will be required to take additional training pertinent to the offense committed and be subject to increased monitoring by supervisors.

5)      Supervisors will be required to spend more time with members under their supervision, including riding with them.

6)      All members will be required to live within the county of assignment.

7)      All communications records for state issued cell phones and BlackBerry's will be maintained consistent with record retention policy.

8)      Increase the number of in-car cameras and establish a systematic review of them by supervisors.

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