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NASHVILLE --- Today, The Tennessee Highway Patrol announced the promotion of Betty Blair to Captain of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). The Office of Professional Responsibility is charged with managing investigative and disciplinary processes for the Department of Safety. Blair replaces Captain Vic Donoho who was appointed to Nashville District Captain in February.
A native of Livingston, Tennessee, Betty Blair, 52, has served as Lieutenant in the Staff Inspection Unit since August 2006. First assigned to the Staff Inspection Unit as a Trooper in January 2000, Blair was promoted to Sergeant in the unit in October 2002. The Staff Inspection Unit ensures all sections of the department are properly following all policies and procedures as part of the primary mission of the Professional Standards Bureau. The Professional Standards Bureau was established in March 2007 to assure that employees of the department meet the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical performance. One of the original members of the unit, Blair helped develop the unit’s Procedural Manual and General Order
Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell said, “Betty Blair has demonstrated extensive knowledge of the policies and procedures of all divisions in the department.” Mitchell added, “I’m confident her wealth of experience in a variety of positions from Driver License Issuance to Road Trooper and Staff Inspection will ensure that OPR investigations are conducted in a professional and thorough manner.”
Since 2000, Blair has served as Accreditation Program Manager, ensuring the department receives re-accreditation every three years from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). The process requires detailed documentation to demonstrate that the department operates by 460 standards set forth by CALEA. After first gaining accreditation in 1999, the Tennessee Department of Safety has received re-accreditation in 2002, 2005, and mostly recently in December 2008.
Blair began her career in the Department of Safety as a Driver License Examiner in December 1983, after serving six years in the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office in Livingston, Tennessee. Commissioned in 1994, her career also includes six years as a Road Trooper in the Cookeville District.
Captain Blair is a 1980 graduate of Livingston State Area Vocational Technical School and a 2003 graduate of the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, where she earned a 4.0 GPA and received the Kremel Leadership Award. Captain Blair and her husband, Edd, reside in Carthage.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s mission is (www.tennessee.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.
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