Commissioner Fred Phillips resigned his post effective immediately, while Deputy Commissioner Tom Moore announced his retirement.
"Over my years of travel across this state, I've met a lot of troopers -- men and women who are honorable and capable," Bredesen said. "These hardworking men and women deserve a Department as good as they are, and this is a first step toward making sure that happens."
Bredesen swore in Jerry Nicely, currently Tennessee's commissioner of the Department of Transportation, as Safety Commissioner for a 60-day period. Nicely will direct a member of his senior TDOT management to oversee operations of that department in his absence.
"I have great confidence in Commissioner Nicely to take the reins of this important department and steer it in the right direction as we begin our search for the most qualified person to fill the role permanently," Bredesen said.
Nicely will spend the weekend meeting with senior administration officials, and has already taken steps to ensure smooth operations of the department during the transitional period, Bredesen said.
Today's developments come less than 24 hours after the Governor released the results of trooper background checks by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that showed 41 troopers and support staff had criminal or driving violation histories. Following his receipt of the report, Bredesen called for a sweeping review of the agency, saying, "This didn't start on my watch, but it's going to end on my watch," he said.
