The N.C. Police Benevolent Association is raising objections to a four-month review of the N.C. Highway Patrol's hiring, training and supervision policies.
John Midgette, the association's executive director, said the review was a "manipulated fraud" because it did not look into pressing issues inside the 1,800-member force, particularly the handling of disciplinary cases, Dan Kane reports.
"It was destined to be a fraud because of the fact that (patrol Commander Fletcher Clay and N.C. Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Bryan Beatty) had defined the scope of the survey and they selected the so-called consultant," Midgette said.
He also said that the consultant, Kroll of New York City, did not base its findings on "traditional methodology" such as interviews under oath or written surveys.
Kroll said in its report that it interviewed troopers throughout the ranks of the force as well as officials with affiliated groups, including the N.C. PBA.
More after the jump.
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The review notes that it did not investigate specific trooper misconduct cases, pointing out that the N.C. Personnel Law generally prevents the public from obtaining that information. But Midgette said that there are numerous state and federal court files with detailed information on trooper misconduct that could have shed more light on the patrol. Those cases were the impetus for the review.
Midgette and others say the patrol lacks clear, consistent standards for trooper conduct, and has allowed politics to influence disciplinary cases. The review noted that many troopers share that view, but said that patrol officials have tried to handle disciplinary matters in a fair and consistent fashion.
Beatty, Gov. Mike Easley and Trooper Terry Story, who leads the N.C. Troopers Association, have praised the findings, which include more than 40 recommendations ranging from continued leadership training for patrol supervisors and freeing front-line supervisors of time-consuming paperwork so they can spend more time in the field.
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