Governor Stein Reaffirms Commitment to Keeping North Carolinians Safe

NORTH CAROLINA, January 21 - Today in western North Carolina, Governor Josh Stein highlighted ongoing efforts to build a safer and stronger North Carolina. In Clay County, the Governor joined local officials for a roundtable discussion on how the opioid settlement funds he won during his tenure as Attorney General are being used to support treatment and recovery services. Later in the day, he joined the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police in Cherokee for its 50th Annual Training Conference.

“An average of six North Carolinians die every day from fentanyl overdoses, and that’s six lives too many,” said Governor Josh Stein. “As Attorney General, I held accountable the drug companies responsible for the scourge of opioid addiction, and it’s exciting to see how programs funded by that money are helping make meaningful progress. But the opioid epidemic is still raging, and there is a long way to go. I will never let up in the fight to help more people live healthy, happy lives free of addiction, and that is why I will continue to advocate for improvements to behavioral health care in North Carolina.”

The North Carolina Department of Justice, led by then-Attorney General Josh Stein, led the national effort to negotiate more than $50 billion in national opioid settlements with companies engaged in the manufacturing, distributing, and dispensing of opioids. Clay County has received more than $2.7 million in settlement funds to address local needs related to addiction treatment, reentry, and recovery support services. North Carolina has won acclaim as a national example for transparency and accountability in usage of opioid settlement funds. 

To expand recovery support, Clay County allocated funds to hire a peer support specialist at the local health department and to purchase a vehicle to help reach people in rural areas who may otherwise lack access to services.  

NCACP Conference

The Governor joined the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police for its 50th Annual Training Conference, where he thanked law enforcement leaders for their service and discussed the need to invest in behavioral health services that keep people safe. Governor Stein highlighted his $195 million public safety package, which includes raising starting salaries for law enforcement officers and providing recruitment and retention bonuses to address staffing shortages.

“Law enforcement officers run toward danger when others may flee. Their work is demanding, dangerous, and too often underappreciated,” said Governor Stein. “North Carolina is safer when law enforcement officers are given the training, resources, and support they need to do their jobs effectively. I continue to call on the General Assembly to pass a comprehensive public safety package that raises law enforcement salaries and helps keep people safe across North Carolina.”

Last week, Governor Stein announced that, as a result of Congress passing the Safer Skies Act, North Carolina’s law enforcement officers will be able to receive the training and resources to protect the public from the potential dangers of unmanned drones.  

In November, Governor Stein joined law enforcement officials for a roundtable discussion about how the State of North Carolina can better support their efforts to keep people safe. The Governor’s public safety proposal allocates funding for raises for all state law enforcement officers, correctional officers, and youth counselors. It also allocates funding for hiring bonuses for new officers or those coming from other states. He continues to urge the General Assembly to pass a comprehensive public safety package that addresses law enforcement staffing shortages and funds the state’s mental and behavioral health system.