Grimy Times has learned that the North Carolina state government has been awarded more than $165 million in public safety funding from the federal government. The funding, which was announced by Director Phil Keith of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, will be used to support a range of public safety initiatives across the state, including violent crime reduction, opioid/substance abuse reduction efforts, school safety, victim services, transitional housing for domestic violence victims, law enforcement activities, justice mental health, and juvenile justice.
The funding was awarded through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). The COPS Office awarded approximately $2.9 million to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety for investigating illicit activities related to heroin distribution and methamphetamine trafficking.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) was the only state-level agency to receive funding to improve school security through the 2019 COPS School Violence Prevention Program. Additional school safety funding was provided to both the North Carolina SBI and DPI through OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance for behavioral threat assessments and the enhancement of the North Carolina State School Safety Center.
According to Director Phil Keith, the funding will ‘secure schools and protect kids from crime and violence across the state, and help to combat the scourge of deadly drugs running rampant in our communities.’
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan of the Office of Justice Programs added, ‘Helping to protect North Carolinians — and all Americans — is job number one for the Department of Justice and the Office of Justice Programs.’
The funding was announced in Raleigh on Friday morning by a group of high-ranking officials, including Governor Roy Cooper, U.S. Attorney Robert J. Higdon Jr. for the Eastern District of North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin for the Middle District of North Carolina, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Director Bob Schurmeier.
Reacting to the news, Governor Roy Cooper said, ‘North Carolina law enforcement will be better able to keep our communities safe and stop drug traffickers with this vital funding.’
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Public Safety|Crime Prevention|Law Enforcement
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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