Gov. Pat McCrory wasted no time appointing an acting head of the State Bureau of Investigation.
Hours after signing the budget, which contained a provision transferring the SBI from the Justice Department to the Department of Public Safety, McCrory appointed Bernard “B.W.” Collier II as its acting director. He will be sworn into office on Monday.
McCrory said in a statement:
“B.W. Collier’s distinguished law enforcement background and leadership skills make him the ideal candidate to lead this elite agency. Collier’s 26 years as a SBI agent coupled with his experience at Alcohol Law Enforcement give me complete confidence in his abilities to carry out the SBI’s mission.”
While at the SBI, Collier was a drug investigator, pilot, arson and crime scene agent, canine handler, technical agent, and bomb squad commander, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
The new legislation specifies that the governor will appoint a new director of the State Bureau of Investigation, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The new SBI director’s term will begin July 1, 2015. SBI directors will serve an eight-year term.
