Governor McCrory Names DPS Secretary | Eastern North Carolina Now

    For Immediate Release:

    Raleigh, NC     Governor Pat McCrory announced today that Frank L. Perry will become the new Department of Public Safety Secretary.

    "Frank Perry has dedicated his life to public safety, primarily through his distinguished FBI career," said Governor McCrory. "He brings a wealth of real-world experience to the helm of DPS in addition to his dedication to public service."

    Perry had been serving as the department's interim secretary.

    "The North Carolina Department of Public Safety is second to none," Perry said. "We have an effective and responsible team that includes adult corrections, juvenile justice, the North Carolina National Guard, emergency management and law enforcement. I am humbled and honored to join Governor McCrory's cabinet."

    Perry, a North Carolina native and Wake Forest University graduate, spent 22 years as a special agent and senior manager for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The FBI recruited him while he was completing his doctoral work in ethics and political philosophy at the University of Miami. At the FBI, he investigated white collar crime, corruption, violent crime and handled sensitive investigations.

    Perry helped establish the first professional ethics program for the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to his time as interim DPS secretary, Perry was appointed commissioner of the Division of Law Enforcement. He oversaw the operations of Emergency Management, State Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Butner Public Safety and State Capitol Police.

    Perry also managed the fraud, waste and abuse division at the office of the state auditor. He also served as Director of Education with the North Carolina Ethics Commission.


    Contact: Crystal Feldman
      govpress@nc.gov