Keeping North Carolinians safe is Governor Stein’s top priority. He is advocating for a public safety package that raises salaries and provides bonuses for law enforcement officers to recruit and retain the best, invests in violence prevention programs that keep kids out of gangs and help people battling addiction get healthy, and supports people struggling with mental health.

In 2025, the Stein administration:

• Signed legislation that increases penalties for the sale of fentanyl and makes it easier for victims of domestic violence to have their day in court
• Signed legislation that cracks down on crime – including burglary, retail theft, reckless driving, and hit-and-run offenses – and protects utilities and communications workers on the job
• Signed legislation that alerts judges to consider mental health concerns or risks of violence before determining pre-trial conditions
• Signed legislation that enables veteran law enforcement officers to continue serving our communities and supporting their families without suffering a financial penalty
• Established the Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force to reduce the presence and impact of gang activity in our state, with a focus on young people
• Established the NC Advisory Council on Cannabis to bring order to the unregulated cannabis market and protect teens and younger children
• Awarded more than $25 million to local and state efforts to promote transportation safety across the state
• Opened six Behavioral Health Urgent Care facilities and 16 new facility-based crisis beds across the state
• Launched seven child crisis teams to support children and teens experiencing behavioral health crises
• Launched a new co-response team to provide violence prevention and behavioral health crisis response services