The director of enforcement and safety for the state Department of Motor Vehicles has been placed on paid administrative leave after less than six months on the job.

Vermont Transportation Secretary Joseph Flynn, whose agency oversees the motor vehicle department, confirmed this week that Wade Cochran was put on administrative leave Jan. 4. 

Flynn said he could not comment on why Cochran had been placed on leave.

“We do have to follow the process,” Flynn said. “The reason for him being out (on leave) had nothing to do with his time working for us.”

Cochran was named to his position with the motor vehicles department in August 2023. He took the place of Anthony Facos, who held the post for the three prior years.

Cochran came to the DMV position after serving less than a year as the police chief in Norwich.

Prior to the Norwich job, Cochran spent 17 years with the Montpelier Police Department. In that department, Cochran was also assigned for several years to the Vermont Drug Task Force and the FBI Task Force.

Before that, he had worked for both the Barre City, Vt., and Hardwick, Vt., police departments.

Attempts to contact Cochran on Wednesday were not successful.

An email sent to his state address generated a reply that stated, “I will be out of the office for an extended period and will not be checking emails.”

The division that Cochran oversaw is responsible for vehicle inspections, licensing and training management and commercial vehicle regulations. At the time of Cochran’s hiring, it had 29 officers and 14 staff, according to the DMV’s announcement.