Highway Patrol ripe for study

Gov. Mike Easley obviously was right to order a thorough review of the way Highway Patrol officers are hired and supervised.

Though most troopers presumably do their jobs with competence and integrity, a handful of rogues have come to light recently. Two were accused of abusing their authority in search of romance. One was accused of making whoopee on the job, in the car.

It would have been best if Easley had brought in experts from outside the state to scrutinize the management of the patrol. The governor left it to the commander and the commander's boss at the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Even with the best of intentions, they might have trouble seeing what might be wrong and what might be done about it.

But the commander says he and his boss probably will bring in an outsider - a consultant or someone from another state agency. That would be wise.

Officers in those snappy uniforms should always meet the highest standards and take justified pride in their professionalism.

North Carolinians depend on the Highway Patrol to protect them. They should never have any reason to fear that they might need protection from the patrol.