By Associated Press
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Highway Patrol's leadership wants to change its name to the Tennessee State Patrol because it says its role has evolved beyond traffic enforcement since it was established in 1929. But Safety Department public records show that in the 2009-2010 budget year, just 9% of the THP's budget was dedicated to areas unrelated to traffic, such as the governor's protective detail and criminal investigations. A Safety Department spokeswoman says those figures don't give a full picture of the agency's non-traffic enforcement activities, because the balance of the THP's spending includes areas like administrators and dispatchers who have multiple responsibilities.