The Backyard Batting Cage

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 12:00 AM | Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend |
North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper use radar to check for speeders on Interstate 85 in Rowan County as part of Operation Slow Down, a state wide effort to reduce speeders on major highways. Photo by Jon C. Lakey, Salisbury Post.

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

Though the N.C. Highway Patrol’s image has been tarnished by high-profile incidents involving troopers’ inappropriate conduct, current and former members of the patrol in Rowan County say don’t judge the whole organization by the transgressions of a few.

Those transgressions have made headlines, and one was close to home.

Former Sgt. Timothy J. White of Salisbury was dismissed from the patrol in June 2009 after an alleged drunken sexual encounter with another trooper’s wife. He has recently taken a job with the N.C. Lottery.

Former patrol Maj. Everett Clendenin was forced to resign in June after an investigation revealed he had sent inappropriate text messages to a female co-worker. Clendenin was the patrol’s public information officer.

Days after Clendenin’s resignation, Master Trooper Timothy Scott Stiwinter was charged with drunken driving and felony hit and run after a wreck in Asheville. Stiwinter was off duty at the time. He resigned the next day.

Gov. Bev Perdue has asked for a restructuring of the Highway Patrol and has given the agency 60 days to make some changes.

Even so, Purdue said in a blog entry on her website, the agency’s reputation is suffering “from the misdeeds of a few.”

“It’s time to change the perception of the Patrol and reform the Highway Patrol in the image of the trooper’s oath,” she wrote.

Perdue announced reforms at a meeting earlier this month in Raleigh with about 160 officers in attendance.

One of those changes is a revamping of the agency’s code of conduct.

“It’s pretty much a new normal. We are going to continue the job we’ve been doing — to protect the public and provide services. We are going back to basics,” said Sgt. Jorge Brewer, with the agency’s public affairs office.

As for some of the recent incidents, Brewer said every major department has its troubles.

“All I can say is we are working to correct them,” he said.

The Highway Patrol consists of eight district troops. Rowan is part of Troop E, which also includes Davidson, Stanly, Montgomery, Davie, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Yadkin and Cabarrus counties. There are 27 troopers assigned to Rowan County.

Brewer asked that the public not judge the mistakes of a few as the conduct of the entire organization.

“There are troopers out there who do a great job,” he said.

Capt. Patricia Poole, head of the troop that includes Rowan, echoed Brewer.

“I hope the citizens still know we are out there doing our job every single day,” she said.

There are troopers who put their lives on the line every day, she said. And they serve the public in other ways, such as helping stranded motorists. One trooper gave a woman gas money when she was stranded at a truck stop.

Another trooper, who was off duty, helped search for an infant who’d drowned in near

by Davidson County, Poole said.

These are the things troopers do when going above and beyond the call of duty, she said.

And Poole said troopers “take it personally when a member decides to disgrace the uniform. They are disrespecting the people they are serving.”

The troopers who don’t take part in misconduct are “proud to serve the citizens” and do not “condone that behavior,” she said.

Trooper Tommie Cato, who has served in this area for 18 years, shares Poole’s sentiments.

“I know we as a patrol have had members who are worthy of the front page news across our state. I also know the work of our local troopers — from coaching Little League to building handicapped ramps, these men and women are about service to others,” Cato said.

Service to others is part of their character, he said. And though their jobs don’t come with high pay, careers in law enforcement, as with other emergency services, social work and similar paths, “with the right attitude are extremely self rewarding,” he sa

id.

Purdue says one of her top priorities is that all troopers must complete ethics training and sign a code of conduct. If that code is broken, a trooper will be fired.

The previous rules of conduct were in general terms, while the new code of conduct deals in specifics. For example, the old set of rules says the trooper shall not betray public trust by accepting gratuities or favors. The new code details types of things troopers cannot accept, which includes: “any gifts, presents, subscriptions, favors, gratuities or promises” that could keep the trooper from performing his or her responsibilities.

The old policy manual states troopers are to administer the law in a “just, impartial and reasonable manner,” while the updated code states that as a trooper, “I will perform all duties impartially, without favor or affection or ill will and without regard to status, sex, race, religion, political belief or aspiration.”

As for troopers’ behavior off duty, the old code simply says they are to conduct themselves so that the “public will regard them as examples of stability, fidelity and morality.” The new guidelines say a trooper’s character and conduct while off duty will “always be exemplary, thus m

a

intaining a position of respect in the community in which I live and serve. My personal behavior will be beyond reproach.”

Former Trooper

Glenn Hester said the code of conduct was never anything that couldn’t be adhered to.

“It’s always been very strict, always enforced and never overlooked,” Hester said.

He admits “things” have been going on since “the beginning of time.”

“It’s pretty obvious it’s not something new — the violations,” Hester said.

Although Hester didn’t use a cell phone when he was working with the patrol, he does see the need for guidelines for cell phone use while

on duty.

Troopers will be required to turn over cell phone bills.

Brewer said the details are still being ironed out.

“We are not looking at who’s talking to who, but we want to determine the amount of time being spent on the cell phone during duty,” he said.

Brewer said the patrol wants to ensure that maximum time is spent on duty and running service calls.

Asked if he thinks Perdue should mandate that the patrol hire its next leader externally, Hester said that would not work.

“I think it should be internal because there’s so many different areas and functions that a person should have knowledge, from the basic academy to commanding an office,” Hester said.

He estimates about 95 percent of those in patrol have experience in every facet of the job.

“In my opinion, she (Perdue) is sort of saying, maybe there’s nobody qualified internally,” Hester said.

That decision may not be made until the General Assembly meets in January.

Contact Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.

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