Today Governor Josh Stein signed Executive Order 21, taking steps to improve public safety and prevent gang violence. The Governor announced the continuation of the Office of Violence Protection and the establishment of the Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force within the Governor’s Crime Commission.
“To keep people safe, we need to do everything we can to prevent violence from occurring in the first place,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I am proud to advance these initiatives to seek out the root causes of violence, including gang violence. We must bring law enforcement, health professionals, and community organizations to the table to create safer communities.”
“Many probation officers in our communities and staff in our prison facilities are specially trained to work with people who are involved with gangs. Their expertise will be key in our prevention efforts,” said Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Cooley Dismukes. “I am proud to co-chair the Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force so that we can provide individuals with the support they need to live free of violence.”
“We must target gang violence at its source, and that means providing more support to vulnerable youth and giving law enforcement the resources they need to address violence,” said Governor’s Crime Commission Executive Director Caroline Farmer. “This task force will bring together the varied perspectives we need to help young people turn away from joining a gang.”
“As we work to address the issue of gang violence, it’s important that we continue to apply a public health lens and take a data-driven, collaborative approach,” said Director of the North Carolina Office of Violence Prevention Siarra Scott. “We all have a role to play in our communities to prevent gang violence. This task force will bring together a variety of leaders with different expertise and experiences and give us the opportunity to create strategic solutions to keep our communities safe.”
Governor Stein signed an Executive Order continuing the Office of Violence Prevention, an initiative he championed as Attorney General. In that announcement, the Governor reestablished the office’s Advisory Board, made up of health professionals, government leaders, law enforcement officers, and community-based organizations. The office will highlight initiatives to strengthen firearm safety, expand cross-sector partnerships across the state, and provide training and education to empower local communities to move forward holistic, evidence-informed strategies to address and prevent violence.
The Governor also established the Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force within the Governor’s Crime Commission, co-chaired by Department of Adult Correction Secretary Leslie Dismukes and Director of the North Carolina Office of Violence Prevention Siarra Scott. The task force membership will consist of law enforcement, education leaders, legal representatives, mental health and substance use organizations, and people who have successfully left gangs. The task force will focus on reducing the presence and impact of gang activity in North Carolina, including keeping young people out of gangs.
These announcements are part of Governor Stein’s initiatives to keep people safe. Governor Stein has also called for the General Assembly to pass a budget that includes raises for law enforcement and bonuses for new hires and out-of-state transfers to address staffing shortages in state and local law enforcement agencies.