'Full investigation' ordered by Gov. Edwards into State Police officials' Las Vegas side trip

Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday ordered an extensive audit of State Police travel practices, including trips taken by the agency's superintendent, as the fallout continued from the revelation that four troopers took a costly detour to Las Vegas last year while driving to a law enforcement conference in San Diego.

Edwards directed the Division of Administration's auditor to launch "a full investigation into travel by the State Police." The inquiry will encompass trips made before Edwards took office last year.

Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said the governor found it "concerning, based on (news) reports," that the troopers were paid thousands of dollars in overtime and charged overnight stays at the Grand Canyon and a Las Vegas hotel in October during a cross-country road trip to attend the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

"It's our understanding that they're going to look for patterns and keep going further back if they find additional information," Carbo said.

Read more: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/crime_police/article_66dee0f2-f874-11e6-8075-579a8e5705e7.html