RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said Wednesday he wants to add resources to his office to combat fentanyl trafficking and solve longstanding sexual assault crimes. He also said he would like to increase funding for law enforcement agencies to recruit and retain officers.
Stein, who is also a Democratic candidate for governor this fall, held a news conference with several police chiefs and sheriffs to highlight her legislative priorities for this year's General Assembly session.
“We face serious public safety issues that threaten the well-being of people in our communities,” Stein said. “There are real, concrete steps the Legislature can take to address these issues.”
Stein said he wants to hire several lawyers for a fentanyl management unit that will assist local prosecutors in trafficking and overdose cases, which are considered time-consuming and complex. In 2022, there were about 3,400 fentanyl-related overdose deaths in North Carolina, Stein said.
He also wants to hire several new staff members to set up a “cold case unit” within the Justice Department. A recent end to delays in testing thousands of sexual assault kits in police custody has led to more matches between collected DNA and profiles in the national DNA database, he said.
The squad of experienced sex crimes investigators “can assist busy local law enforcement officers and breathe new life into cold cases,” Stein said.
He also laid out a series of proposals to address vacancies in police departments and prisons, as well as efforts to attract talent to law enforcement.
His office said the package would cost $23 million and include bonuses for graduates of the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program and bonuses for out-of-state or former military police officers who want to work in the field in North Carolina. It is expected to include relocation allowance. .
He also supports legislation that would allow retired officers to return to work without jeopardizing their retirement benefits and allow veteran officers to remain on the job without jeopardizing their special financial interests.
Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said there are more than 80 vacant positions in the county's jail, which currently houses nearly 400 inmates.
“Obviously we need the right staff and the right staff to operate this facility safely and reliably,” Birkhead said. Several of his patrol members are working at the prison as a stopgap.
Republicans, who control the General Assembly, are often at odds with Mr. Stein, but lawmakers and the attorney general have pushed for anti-crime legislation in the past on a bipartisan basis.
Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will be Stein's rival in the November gubernatorial election. Mr Robinson has spoken out against “soft-on-crime” policies that release dangerous criminals onto the streets. In his speech aired on statewide television in 2023, Robinson said police deserve respect, need proper training and equipment to de-escalate dangerous situations, and that they are treated like “political pawns.” He said they should not be treated as such.