Norris says committee probing THP issues

By Greg Little, Managing Editor, The Covington Leader Online
December 6, 2005

With questions swirling around hiring and promotion practices within the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the chairman of an oversight committee says he wants some answers.

“We are looking into it now,” said Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, chairman of the Tennessee Senate Transportation and Safety Committee.

Allegations and questions about the THP have been raised in recent months by The Tennessean in a series of stories which allege patrolmen who donated to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s campaign have been promoted over more qualified officers and that some officers now working with the Patrol may have criminal records.

“As chairman of the committee, I have requested documents and will make more requests for additional documents that need to be reviewed in light of the allegations that have been reported,” said Norris, who represents Tipton County in the Tennessee Senate.

Bredesen has indicated he may seek an outside, independent investigation of the situation.

Norris said that will not stop his committee from continuing its own investigation.

“Not at all,” he said. “We have separate but equal branches of government. Our committee has counsel assigned to it at all times and he is working with us, as well. It would be much more efficient if we could work together, but then again, the Constitution recognizes the separate but equal branches of government.”

Norris on Thursday said he was frustrated with the lack of response by the Department of Safety, which is in charge of the THP.

“I sent more correspondence today,” said Norris, adding the department “ has not formally responded” to his initial request for records dated over two weeks ago.

“We want the department’s policies and procedures regarding employment practices,” said Norris.

The senator, who said he “never envisioned” dealing with this issue when he was appointed chairman of the committee during the last legislative session, believes the situation is painting a black eye on state government.

“Troublesome,” said Norris when asked how the Bredesen administration is handling the matter.

“The administration first indicated they were going to get politics out of the Highway Patrol last July and it seems to have not been the case and that is why it falls to us to proceed,” he said.

Norris said he is unsure if the entire committee will convene hearings prior to the upcoming special legislative session in January.

“That has not been determined,” said Norris. “It is under discussion by the officers of the committee.”

He said whether hearings are held or not depends “on the various departments’ response to requests for documents. Not only what they produce, but when they produce it. We don’t want to suffer any delays.”

A story in the Friday edition of The Tennessean alleges the THP rehired a trooper after he pleaded guilty to charges of forgery, falsifying a government document and canceling a ticket. That trooper resigned but was later hired back by the THP.

“If there are patrolmen with felonies on their records, when did those felonies occur? If they did occur before they were hired, who did the background check? And if they happened while they were already on the force, how could that be?” said Norris. ‘Those are all fair questions.”

Norris said one of the most troubling parts of the investigation is the impact it is having on the force.

“I feel badly for the men and women of the Highway Patrol who, by and large, are very dedicated and professional law enforcement personnel,” said Norris. “This leaves them with a bad brush, and in many instances I am confident this is unfair to them but it also worries the public.”

Norris said the public wants “to make sure the Highway Patrol is out there to protect them without fear or favor and this raises a lot of questions.”

The senator said he was particularly troubled by the allegations that some troopers could have felony records.

“We are in the process of peeling the onion,” said Norris. “Right now, we don’t know how big that onion is. We peel it back one layer at a time and follow the facts wherever they lead us.”

In one quote in the Nashville newspaper, Bredesen said the following: “What I’d like to come out of all this with is ... that I can look everybody — the Lord, to the public, to the press, to my wife — in the eye and say ‘I’ve done everything I know with the data that’s available over there to identify any problems and take care of it.’”

“He needs to look the Legislature in the eye,” said Norris, who added his committee will “absolutely not” wait for the governor’s investigation.