State alcohol agency's leader retires suddenly: News reports said ALE chief bought assault rifles for his agents, who rarely use guns.

Sep 22, 2009 (The Charlotte Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- CUFF | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- RALEIGH The director of the N.C. Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement announced his sudden retirement Monday, eight days after reports that his agency bought all of its agents assault rifles and that two of the weapons had been stolen.

Bill Chandler's retirement was announced in an afternoon e-mail to the agency's employees from Reuben F. Young, the state secretary of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Chandler, who was appointed to head ALE by former Gov. Mike Easley in November 2007, had worked at the agency 30 years as a field agent and supervisor.

Young said Chandler, 51, put in his retirement papers after the two had a private talk Monday morning. Though he would not discuss what specifically triggered the director's departure, the secretary said he was concerned by issues raised in a Sept. 13 article printed in The (Raleigh) News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer.

"I think it raised some questions, clearly, about the need for those firearms," Young said. "Obviously, you're always concerned when a firearm is misplaced or stolen. There are folks out there who would get their hands on those who won't do good things with them."

Chandler will be replaced by John Ledford, a former ALE agent who is currently the sheriff of Madison County. Ledford, 44, will take over the agency in November, according to Young.

Chandler was not available for comment. A spokesman said Monday he was out of the office, on leave.

This is not the first time an ALE director has lost his job over questions involving the agency's handling of firearms. Ronald Dale resigned in 1997 as the N&O reported that the agency had bought M-14 rifles, a fully automatic military weapon. Dale kept three at his hunting lodge.

Gov. Bev Perdue welcomed Ledford to his new post but said she will also want answers from the new director.

"Clearly the issue of missing weapons is of great concern to the governor," said Chrissy Pearson, Perdue's press secretary.

Ledford was unavailable for comment. A receptionist at his office in the mountain town of Marshall said he was on vacation this week.

The Sig Sauer Model 552s purchased by the ALE are semi-automatic assault rifles typically marketed to SWAT teams and Special Forces soldiers for close-quarters, urban combat. The ALE director had one of the $1,495 rifles assigned to him for his use.

With just 104 full-time agents, ALE's primary responsibility is to enforce state laws on the purchase and sale of alcoholic beverages. Though its officers are rarely involved in situations where the use of deadly force is required, ALE is the only state law-enforcement agency to provide every agent with an assault rifle.

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