Public Safety

Public safety is a core priority for state government, and Governor Cooper is committed to keeping families and communities safe.

Governor Cooper recognizes that state prisons can and should be made safer for those who work in them. Correctional officers do a difficult and demanding job, and Governor Cooper’s prison safety solutions include additional training, enhanced surveillance and updated technology and facilities. He has supported investments to increase compensation and retirement benefits for correctional officers that can help recruit and retain talent

Throughout his career, Governor Cooper has championed commonsense efforts to help formerly incarcerated people become productive members of their communities. Governor Cooper tasked the Department of Public Safety with developing a Reentry Action Plan to comprehensively address re-entry issues and improve the transition for people returning from jail or prison.

Governor Cooper’s administration has focused on cross-cutting strategies to improve school safety across North Carolina. Experts from law enforcement, schools, juvenile justice, emergency fire and medical services and emergency managers have convened to ensure schools have the resources and support they need to prevent a tragedy or respond in a worst-case scenario.

Governor Cooper has created the Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC), which is tasked with examining law enforcement and criminal justice in North Carolina. Guided by your feedback, the Task Force developed and will help implement solutions to eliminate disparate outcomes in the criminal justice system for communities of color.

Learn more about TREC.