GOVERNOR SETS OUT TO HIRE A NEW COLONEL FOR THE HIGHWAY PATROL

Governor Beverly Perdue set in motion the work to find a new colonel of the State Highway Patrol last week and based on the recent negative press -- the new leadership will be a sight for sore eye. The Governor named a bi-partisan group of well known leaders from across the state. Their mission is to set up a framework to select a new commander for the SHP.

In addition to helping find a new colonel, this committee will also be looking at the State Highway Patrol's operating structure and policies. They will be looking at ways to improve operations and to change a culture of accepting and tolerating bad behavior - usually focused around drinking and sex.

There's no doubt that the vast majority of those who serve in the State Highway Patrol do so with honor, character and integrity. They live out their sworn oath to serve and protect. They truly reflect the values that have defined the agency.

However, events and actions of a few bad troopers have tarnished the patrol's reputation and news coverage hinting at political patronage and really bad behavior has left the patrol reeling. Governor Perdue is trying to extricate herself from this wounding story. She injected herself in the debate when she held a news conference three weeks ago with the Secretary of Crime Control and Colonel Glover.

The news conference was an unmitigated disaster. The Governor left the podium in a huff and her press secretary had to put her hand over the microphone and cut short the event when the Colonel got far off message and started blaming the news media for the bad press.

Ever since the editorial writers for the state's leading newspapers have eaten the Governor, the Colonel and the Highway Patrol alive. That's part of the reason you saw Colonel Glover announce his retirement two weeks ago. I figured he'd had all he could take and the Governor felt the same way.

So now, the Governor has appointed his high powered committee to look for a new Colonel and to help her set new guidelines and to change the culture over at the Highway Patrol.

Former State Supreme Court Justice Burley Mitchell will be a good starting point. He's going to chair the committee. He is a former prosecutor and former Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety. He's well respected in the law enforcement community and will bring a great deal of credibility to the table.

Let's hope this group can look at the State Highway Patrol and while respecting this historic institution, also be willing to look at ways to improve its operations, its leadership and help all the men and women who serve fully understand that when it comes to values and their personal behavior, they will be held to a higher standard.

ONE BIG PROBLEM WITH THE PANEL -- WHERE'S THE REGULAR JOE?

There's one big problem with the panel. There's no regular citizen. You have a number of well respected leaders like former Supreme Court Chief Justice Burley Mitchell, former NC Central University Chancellor Julius Chambers, former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker; Mecklenburg County District Attorney Peter Gilchrist; retired Court of Appeals Judge Ralph Walker and professor Norma Houston from the UNC School of Government.

But don't have any just regular working folks and I think that's what's lacking in government today. To be sure, we could have found one regular citizen. Maybe, someone who's interacted with the State Highway Patrol on the side of the road a time or two. Maybe someone who doesn't have a Master's Degree or a blue blood career in the court system.

I just wish that the Governor would be willing to add a brick mason or a car salesman, appoint someone who works for a living and could give the perspective of the little person, who works 50-60 hours a week, goes to T-ball, helps out at their child's school and goes to Church on Sunday. Those folks are out there -- they drive the country. Maybe our politicians can start turning to them for some guidance every now and then.

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