Lawmakers plan to clean up the Tennessee Highway Patrol

WBIR, Herryn Riendeau , Reporter

January 11, 2006

During the past few months in the Tennessee Highway Patrol, there have been allegations of promotions based on politics, troopers breaking the law and having criminal backgrounds, even fixing tickets.

Now lawmakers plan to clean up the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

"You shouldn't create a culture where someone in the Governor's office can make someone's promotion or demotion dependent on political patronage," said Chairperson of the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee Senator Mark Norris.

The Senate Transportation and Safety Committee has already held one hearing on improving things at the highway patrol. Now they are working to get more information to better understand the situation there.

"We need to look at the statute on official misconduct to make sure there are strict penalties in the event someone does interfere and cronyism creeps in," said Senator Norris.

Lawmakers hope new bills will help fix the problem. Senator Tim Burchett plans to introduce a bill to change the way highway patrol officers' job performance is reviewed.

"It would put them under the same restrictions and requirements as, say, our local sheriff's office or Knoxville Police Department," said Senator Burchett.

Governor Bredesen brought in a consultant who has helped fix similar problems in other states.

"And I've told him, 'No fences, if you've got some ideas that are major ideas about how we might change some things, put them on the table, let's look and see if they would work,'" said Governor Bredesen.

Both Governor Bredesen and lawmakers say it is a problem that can be fixed.

"There are a lot of ways that we need to make sure we have the public's confidence, and I think there should be policies we can put into place to accomplish that," said Senator Jamie Woodson.

Lawmakers say despite the recent allegations, the vast majority of highway patrol officers do their jobs with honesty and integrity.