The head of the N.C. Highway Patrol, Col. Mike Gilchrist, has issued orders to put all transfers and promotions at the agency on hold, citing the possibility of budget cuts that would require staff reductions.
Gilchrist also suspended future training classes for adding new troopers to the force. The commander said the changes are "necessary to minimize the number of personnel that may be affected by the imminent elimination of positions."
"The (House and Senate) have proposed budgets that will significantly cut the Patrol's funding," Gilchrist wrote in a memo issued to troop commanders across the state. "If made, these cuts will require the elimination of a significant number of sworn and civilian positions. This will challenge our organization's ability to provide public safety and fulfill our mission."
Republicans leaders in the state legislature have proposed budgets that would make deep cuts to the state's court system, prisons and public safety agencies.
A copy of Gilchrist's memo is available below.
Document(s):
Gilchrist Memo.doc


Comments
So Sad, but So True.
June 1, 2011 - 8:31pm — JusticeofthePeaceI wholeheartedly have to agree with this persons comments on how the SHP is wasting so much money is placing sworn Troopers of all ranks in needless, wasted, & typical government waste positions. I applaud this persons comment on EXPOSING THE TRUTH about how so much man power is wasted in "pie jobs" that contribute NOTHING to the SHP or in service to the people of this State! Those holding these positions, which should & could be mostly eliminated as government waste, should be ashamed of themselves! Ask yourself how do you hold PRIDE & INTEGRITY knowing your "job" consist of doing nothing but wasting money on your salary. The few jobs that are even ligitamite can and should be held by civilian employees who's salaries would be extremely lower than that of sworn troopers & escpecially those high ranking officers who have these "cushy do-nothing positions".
I PLEAD with any State Legislature who reads this...PLEASE TAKE ACTION! Mandate the State Auditors office conduct a thourough audit of each & every position & job title being held currently in the SHP...You will discover for yourselves the HUGE WASTE of tax payer money, the need to eliminate most all of these bogus positions and titles, therefor saving REAL TROOPERS JOBS by saving money within the agency.
Finally, for those of you, & I estimate it to be approximately 20% of sworn personnel, that make up those that hold these wasteful titles and those that have positions where you may actually work 10 hours a week out of your 40...have a little integrity & pride in yourself enough that you will go back to being a "real trooper" and not a pencil pusher! Honestly, how do you go home everyday and feel as if you have accomplished anything?
Just the facts...
June 1, 2011 - 8:12pm — JusticeofthePeaceYou know its ashame the the SHP is possibly having to cut some Troopers and thereby costing them their profession. What's even more ashaming is the manner in which the SHP gone about implementing cuts of excellent Troopers in the past several years, all being without having budget cut orders. See, the SHP has unjustly terminated some (not all) excellent Troopers throughout the years because of their lack of providing due process & having an arbitrary & capricious disiplinary policy. Basically, the SHP is scared to death of the media and also takes its marching orders from politicians and judicial officials who have no legal footing in "making calls" for the termination of Troopers. When these said Troopers fight in court to get their jobs back that were wrongly taken from them and win, what does the State & SHP do in response to their knowingly unjustified acts of termination? They dip into the deep pockets of the tax payers money and appeal repeatedly costing the tax payers millions upon millions in legal & court cost all to keep them (SHP) from having to admit they were WRONG in taking the actions they did in the mistreatment of these once excelling Troopers who the SHP threw under the bus, & all the while not caring about the damage they've done.
My point here is simple. Instead of WASTING millions of dollars fighting court orders to give a trooper his job back, they should be saving this money so as when the point has been reached like in todays economy where jobs are in jeapordy, the SHP could have used those millions of dollars to save jobs & maintain training & good equipment. But NO, the SHP refuses to swallow their stubborn pride and admit their wrongful and deplorable actions they have taken over the years with the MOST CORRUPT Disiplinary system in any State Agency. The Internal Affairs officers act as God's who themselves are committing acts that should have caused their termination to wit: Captain Ken Castelloe, the biggest scam artist of them all, which is why he was "transfered" out of IA!
QUIT wasting tax payer money all because you (SHP) can't act like big boys and simply admit you acted in a despicable manner in your treatment of some excellent Troopers and just apologize!
Suggestion: if positions have to be cut then start with cutting all those in power who have knowingly acted in a corrupt manner. Also fire the Troopers who actually deserve to be fired to wit: Trooper Stephanie Young, & others who abused their powerful positions and made illegal arrest and then lied under oath so badly the Judge stopped the trial & dismissed the case...and how about getting rid of those Troopers who are so lazy they produce no work, complain non stop if they are assigned 1 wreck, and check on & stay at home for 6 of their 8 hours of work. I could go on & on with horrendus examples that would SHOCK THE CONCIOUS of the citizens of North Carolina if they knew of the "cover-ups" that take place for "favored" troopers of all ranks!
Colonel Gilchrist Please tell the truth.
May 26, 2011 - 5:21pm — NotaliberalColonel Gilchrist,
If you want more troopers on the road why don't you take the 50 to 75 high ranking officers in patrol headquarters who are doing clerical jobs and put them on the road? How do you justify a Lieutenant, Sergeant and Trooper in benefits, commissioned officers and sergeants in IT, who know nothing about computers, and all the others in HQ that drive in from other counties everyday and count their drive time as work time? Do you still have a First Sergeant as a secretary like the last two Colonels did? Do members of the governor's security still commute from Guilford County every day? Do you still have a First Sergeant at the garage moving cars around?
If the News and Observer (and members of the legislature for that matter) wants the truth about manpower in the SHP they need to go to the Archdale Building or the Training Academy/TSU section and see all the sworn personnel doing non law enforcement jobs. But, don't go on Friday, because they are all taking "comp time" to make up for their on the clock (and on state cars/gas) commutes.
The field troopers know this is true, will you admit it?