On May 22, 2024, Attorney General Josh Stein emphasized the importance of public safety in North Carolina. “Keeping people safe is job one for the state,” said Stein. “I will continue to fight to protect children and families, including advocating for more law enforcement resources. Law enforcement go straight into danger to protect us all – we must put our money where our mouths are and do more to support them. That includes more resources for solving cases, fighting against fentanyl, and recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers.”
Stein highlighted the progress made in addressing the sexual assault kit backlog but acknowledged ongoing challenges. “Our state has ended the sexual assault kit backlog,” he stated. “But there is more work to do. All these new hits to the database can breathe new life into cold cases – as long as there is someone to work them. That’s why I’m advocating for a cold case unit to support our under-resourced and over-burdened local law enforcement agencies.”
Addressing the fentanyl crisis was another key focus for Stein. “Fentanyl is a scourge that is killing nine people in North Carolina each day,” he said. “Dealers and traffickers are getting rich peddling poison. I am advocating for more prosecutors for a Fentanyl Control Unit so that my office can help local district attorneys prosecute these complex and often cross-jurisdictional cases.”
Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead expressed his commitment to combating high-level drug dealers with Stein's support: “DCSO is committed to improving safety in all of our communities; those efforts include aggressively going after high-level drug dealers who are flooding our streets with fentanyl,” Birkhead said.
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood addressed recruitment challenges: “Someone is going to wear the badge, and we want it to be the best and brightest,” he remarked. "Recruitment and retention of quality employees is not an issue unique to law enforcement."
Mebane Police Chief Mitch McKinney emphasized technological advances aiding their mission: "Our commitment to fighting the fentanyl crisis and solving cold case sexual assaults is stronger than ever; thanks to advances in technology, we are much better leveraged to support that commitment," McKinney noted.
Apex Police Chief Jason Armstrong pointed out nationwide staffing issues: "The nation is suffering from a shortage of people wanting to do this job," Armstrong commented. "North Carolina has a chance to send a message to future police officers that our state is the place you want to be in law enforcement."
Attorney General Stein's public safety package includes strategies for addressing officer shortages, combating fentanyl, solving cold case sexual assaults, among other initiatives.
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