For Release: Immediate  Date: December 31, 2002

Renee Hoffman Phone:(919) 733-5027 (Ext. 231)

RALEIGH – A new era in highway safety for North Carolina begins in 2003.

On Wednesday, 364 employees who were formerly members of the Division of Motor Vehicles Enforcement Section will move to the Department of Crime Control & Public Safety (CCPS) to become the Motor Carrier Enforcement section of the N.C. Highway Patrol.

"The two goals of this merger are safer highways and more efficient operations," said Bryan Beatty, CCPS Secretary. "I appreciate the hard work of the transition team and employees in both agencies to make this a smooth process."

Governor Mike Easley announced the transfer of DMV Enforcement to CCPS during the summer as a cost savings measure and to improve the operations of DMV Enforcement. A transition team made up of personnel from both departments has been at work since that time, finalizing such details as the transfer of personnel and benefits records and equipment from one department to the other. The General Assembly passed House Bill 314 in October to make the move from the Department of Transportation to CCPS effective Jan. 1, 2003.

A swearing in ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2003, at 2 p.m. at the Colonial Baptist Church, 6051 Tryon Road, Cary.

"We felt it was important to bring the Motor Carrier Enforcement officers together for their first official duty as members of the Highway Patrol," said Colonel Richard W. Holden, commander of the Highway Patrol. "We are glad to have the officers as part of CCPS, and we want them to hear that directly from the leadership of the department and their new command staff."

The merger will not immediately change the duties of either the Highway Patrol troopers or Motor Carrier officers.

"We have already started saving money by handling a great deal of the training and transfer process over the Internet," Holden said. "Over a four-day period in November and December, we saved the state more than $30,000 in travel costs."

Since it was formed in 1929, the duties of the Highway Patrol have been to enforce all laws and regulations pertaining to travel and use of vehicles on North Carolina highways, including having the authority to arrest for any crime that occurs in their presence. The primary duties of the new Motor Carrier Enforcement officers will be enforcing vehicle weight restrictions and federal motor carrier safety regulations on commercial motor vehicles.

The remaining duties of enforcing the emissions inspections program, dealer licensing, motor vehicle title and driver license fraud, and motor vehicle theft enforcement will stay under the Department of Transportation. The DMV was founded in 1921.

The Highway Patrol currently has 1,445 uniformed officer positions and 300-plus support personnel, which includes telecommunicators, garage mechanics, and clerical staff. The employees transferring to CCPS include 364 former DMV Enforcement officers and additional support staff.

The new Motor Carrier Enforcement section will report through the Highway Patrol’s chain of command to Col. Holden and Sec. Beatty. There will be an MCE lieutenant stationed at each of the Highway Patrol’s eight Troop Headquarters around the state who will oversee the MCE officers in that Troop. Additional MCE personnel will be folded into the Highway Patrol’s headquarters staff in the areas of Zone Operations, Internal Affairs, Research and Planning, Communications and Logistics, and the Training Academy.

The MCE officers will retain their current blue patrol cars and uniforms. The decals on the cars and the patches on the uniforms will be changed to reflect membership in the Highway Patrol as members of the Motor Carrier Enforcement Section. The Highway Patrol will continue to drive its black and silver cars and wear the traditional black and gray uniforms.

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