THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 10, 1995 TAG: 9511100488
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY DENNIS PATTERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. is dropping a proposal to eliminate the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, the agency's acting secretary told a legislative panel Thursday.
``The governor has made his recommendation to the General Assembly and you all have acted on it,'' Brad Wilson told the Crime Control and Public Safety Study Commission. ``Since that decision has been made, he will not be pursuing that issue.''
Hunt this year recommended that the Assembly dissolve the agency and move its divisions to other state agencies. The department oversees divisions that include the Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement, the National Guard and emergency management.
Hunt, who created the department during his second term in office in the late 1970s, said eliminating it could save over $2 million in administrative costs.
House Republicans disagreed, arguing that the agency should be expanded to include other state law enforcement divisions like the Division of Motor Vehicles enforcement branch and the State Bureau of Investigation.
The Senate, controlled by Democrats, eventually agreed with the House to keep the department but cut back its funding.
Wilson, who is Hunt's legal counsel, has been serving as acting secretary since Thurman Hampton left last month.
Rep. Larry Justus, R-Henderson, said the study commission will explore his idea of merging other state law enforcement agencies into Crime Control.
``You can rest assured we're not trying to tear up somebody's department,'' he said. ``We are investigating why law enforcement is so fragmented across the state.
``It may turn out that that is the best way to do it,'' he said. ``We're also going to look at consolidation. That may turn out to be the best way.
``At this point, I believe everybody should just rest easy.''
The study commission is expected to report back to lawmakers at their session next May. by CNB