By Dan Kane
The News & Observer
RALEIGH, N.C. — The N.C. Police Benevolent Association is raising objections to a four-month review of the State 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.
“It was destined to be a fraud,” he said, because 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.”
The Police Benevolent Association is an organization of law enforcement officers that provides legal services and advocacy on their behalf.
Midgette 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 as well as officials with affiliated groups, including the Police Benevolent Association.
Patrol spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin said that Gov. Mike Easley defined the scope of the review, not Beatty and Clay. Clendenin said Beatty and Clay were charged with selecting the consultant. Kroll is known for reviewing law enforcement agencies.
Clendenin said Beatty found Midgette’s criticism unfounded.
“The patrol got a good review, saying that we are a highly professional organization,” Clendenin said. “The review is probably hard for Midgette to take because he wants something critical.”
The consultant’s report notes that it did not investigate specific cases of trooper misconduct, pointing out that the state personnel law generally keeps that information private. But Midgette said 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.
The consultant made more than 40 recommendations, including continued leadership training for patrol supervisors and freeing front-line supervisors of time-consuming paperwork so they can spend more time in the field.
Copyright 2008 The News & Observer