Four troopers recommended for termination
Earlier this month Gov. Bredesen ordered the checks of the patrol’s 855 commissioned officers. Three of the troopers cited by Nicely were in the group of 41 flagged employees who were placed on administrative leave pending review by the department.
The other, Trooper Russell Cope, was recently revealed to have a long history of allegations against him, including two recent traffic stops when he was cited for conduct unbecoming an officer.
Another is Sgt. Gregory R. Badacour, who pleaded guilty last year to secretly filming couples having sex in public and was suspended from the THP for only one day.
“It’s not a happy day for the Department of Safety and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, but it constitutes the first step in preparing the department for the future,” Nicely said.
Of the 41 individuals whose files were reviewed, 34 were charged prior to their employment with the Department of Safety and seven were charged during their employment with the department, according to a report prepared by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Safety and Department of Personnel.
Besides Badacour and Cope, Troopers Tony Schuer and Angelinette Crawford were also recommended for termination. Schuer was charged last month with drunken driving and refusing to be tested.
Crawford was charged last year with assault with a deadly weapon for her involvement in an off-duty incident.
In the case of four of the remaining seven, one filed for retirement last month, and it was recommended that no further action be taken against the three other individuals.
The report said no disciplinary action had been taken against Crawford until now, even though the Safety Department was apparently aware of the charge against her.
“From the review of records, it appears that the Department of Safety was aware of all the charges and convictions of these individuals prior to their employment,” the report said.
All the troopers are covered by the civil service laws, according to the report, which means “they have statutory rights to due process before the appointing authority can demote, suspend or terminate them.”
Thursday’s announcement comes after a period dating back to last summer in which a series of reports in The Tennessean newspaper spotlighted allegations of political favoritism and mismanagement within the Highway Patrol.
The paper reported last month that two-thirds of trooper promotions under the Bredesen administration went to officers who gave money to the governor’s campaign, or had family members or political patrons who did. More than half in that group were promoted although they were competing against officers with higher promotion scores, according to the paper.
Earlier this month, the commissioner of the Safety Department resigned and the deputy commissioner retired about a week after the commander of the Highway Patrol was forced to step down. Col. Lynn Pitts tried to purchase a boat seized by troopers and put up for sale as surplus state property, an apparent violation of state law.
Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker said the governor will review the report released Thursday after the holiday.
“Governor Bredesen expressed confidence in Commissioner Nicely, as well as his appreciation for the quick work that representatives of the TBI, Department of Personnel and Department of Safety put into completing the report,” Lenker said in a news release.