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RALEIGH — Governor Bev Perdue now has recommendations on her desk for how to select a new commander for the State Highway Patrol and other actions to help get the agency back in order.

No surprises in the initial report handed over to Governor Bev Perdue by her task force on the State Highway Patrol. The group had been charged with making recommendations on how to select a new commander for the Patrol after several public resignations and firings from the organization. The series of events were followed by the decision of its commander to resign.

Ultimately, the Leadership Advisory Group decided it is best for Governor Perdue to follow current law and select the new commander from within the current ranks. However, there are strict guidelines she must follow:

1.The commander must be chosen from within the ranks of lieutenant, captain,major or major colonel and all members with those ranks must declare if they want to be eligible for consideration or not.
2.There will be input as to qualifications from internal advisory groups.
3.That is followed by the candidates clearly articulating how their background qualifies them for the job.
4.Then any unsolicited recommendations about the candidate will be documented.
5.Next a thorough background check by an outside agency or firm will be conducted on the candidates.
6.At that point, the remaining candidates will then be interviewed by leadership in Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.

This should create a finalist or finalists, who will then be recommended to the Governor. These finalists should exemplify the ethical and moral character and reputation that represents the integrity and honor that citizens expect from the State Highway Patrol.

Political analyst David McLennan said that who the Governor selects through this process will be important, but what the future holds after the selection is made is equally important as well.

“And so this has got to be a perfect hire,” said McLennan. “But in reality, what she hopes for is that all the operational things that will change, will result in no more trooper stories in the news media. Because that is really what has been so damaging.”