Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A spokesman says Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is searching for a new public safety commissioner as the current one gets ready to retire.

Albert Santa Cruz announced Wednesday that he will leave Jan. 31. He has led the Department of Public Safety five years, and his relationship with legislators has sometimes been rocky.

The department includes the Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the state Office of Homeland Security.

Under Santa Cruz's tenure, the department has upgraded its driver's license system and improved the state Crime Lab. But it has also had legal problems.

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Narcotics settled a sexual harassment lawsuit and the Office of Homeland Security settled a sex discrimination lawsuit. Both were filed by former employees.