Press Releases

State correctional and local law enforcement officers are seeking Wilkes Correctional Center minimum custody offender Roger W. Hawkins (#0500925), who was reported missing from his work release assignment this afternoon. Hawkins was last seen in the Foster Street area of Wilkesboro at 4 p.m. 

In anticipation for the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holidays, the State Highway Patrol is putting safe driving at the top of its Christmas wish list.   According to AAA, more than 112 million travelers are expected to leave home throughout the holiday period to spend time with family and friends.  With this in mind, troopers across the state are focusing on driver behavior in an attempt to ensure everyone arrives safely to their intended destination.  

The State of North Carolina and FEMA are announcing more than $15.8 million to reimburse expenses to restore hurricane- and tropical storm-related beach damage.  The funds include reimbursing the replacement of beach sand in the Town of Holden Beach. Storm surges from Hurricane Florence damaged the coastal community’s beach. 

RALEIGH - Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks today announced Bryan House as the director of the Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) Division.  Director House has been serving in an interim role since Oct. 1 when ALE was re-established as a division within the Department of Public Safety.

The state of North Carolina has received a federal disaster declaration for Public Assistance (PA) Category A thru G for 2 additional counties (Bladen and Chowan) in eastern NC bringing the total to 28 counties.

The North Carolina National Guard hosted a change of ceremony for the Adjutant General of North Carolina, at Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, Dec. 16, 2019. Governor Roy Cooper presided over the event and ceremonially pass the command flag of the North Carolina National Guard from the out-going Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Greg Lusk, to the incoming Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Todd Hunt.

The Department of Public Safety requested the State Bureau of Investigation to conduct an investigation into a shooting involving a probation officer who was conducting an official home visit in Middlesex just before 9 p.m. Thursday. One individual at the home was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The officer was not injured.

 FEMA and the State of North Carolina are announcing more than $2 million to reimburse the City of New Bern following Hurricane Florence.  FEMA previously approved more than $5 million to the city for Hurricane Florence-related expenses. This funding brings the total to more than $7 million.  Funds for the $2 million project will reimburse New Bern for restoring electricity following the hurricane. Work included replacing damaged utility poles and transformers. 

The State of North Carolina and FEMA are announcing more than $18.8 million to reimburse expenses to restore hurricane- and tropical storm-related beach damage.  The funds include reimbursing the replacement of beach sand in the Town of Topsail Beach. Storm surges from Hurricane Florence damaged the coastal community’s beach.  The town will replenish more than 939,000 cubic yards of sand damaged during Hurricane Florence. The sand equals more than nine times the amount of concrete in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.

Two new cameras recently added to Civil Air Patrol aircraft in North Carolina are providing a significant improvement to the state’s aerial search capability.