The Governor’s October Column: A Healthier North Carolina Means a Safer North Carolina

(RALEIGH) This month Governor Josh Stein is discussing public safety and mental health investments that would make North Carolina communities safer. Media outlets are invited to publish Governor Stein's column below.

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Whether you're running an errand, out to dinner, on your way to work, or in your home, you and every other North Carolinian deserve to feel safe in your community. Recent horrific events in Charlotte and in Southport have made people wonder if they truly are safe. Public safety is a basic promise our government must keep, and it's the challenge that I've dedicated my career to tackling. But it's a promise we cannot fulfill unless we address the mental health crisis head-on. There's much more we can do to make our state healthier, safer, and stronger.

A Public Safety Package for North Carolina

First, for all that we talk about public safety, we've got to put our money where our mouth is. That's why my March budget proposal included a $195 million comprehensive public safety package to address the root causes of crime while also supporting our law enforcement and violence prevention systems.

The proposal includes putting more cops on the beat by raising salaries for law enforcement officers so we can recruit and retain the best people for the job - people who are well-trained, community-focused, and not stretched dangerously thin. My public safety package also invests in violence prevention programs that keep kids out of gangs and help people battling addiction get healthy. And while respecting Second Amendment rights, it puts safeguards in place to ensure those who are convicted felons, domestic abusers, or dangerously mentally ill don't have access to firearms.

This package recognizes that public safety isn't just about arrests and patrols; it's about preventing harm before it happens. Earlier this month, I signed a bill that makes investments in public safety. But let's be honest: It didn't go far enough. Both of the perpetrators of the recent murders were in the throes of serious mental health crises. If our system fails to respond to people in crisis, we are failing our communities and we are failing them.

Mental Health Is Public Safety, Too

In North Carolina, 1.8 million adults live with a mental health condition. Those folks need treatment and support. And while the overwhelming majority of people living with a mental illness aren't violent, we know that some are and not getting them the treatment they need can be dangerous.

One basic solution is to fully fund Medicaid. Medicaid is the largest payer of mental health and substance use treatment in the country. It helps people afford therapy, medications, and critical supports. The General Assembly has dragged its heels on funding Medicaid, and this inaction puts people's health and safety at risk. They must act immediately.

We also need to strengthen mental health supports in our criminal justice system. That means getting people connected to treatment whenever they first encounter law enforcement, ensuring those who are incarcerated receive proper care, and paying health care staff enough to eliminate vacancies at our state's psychiatric hospitals. More than a third of state psychiatric beds are currently sitting empty just because we don't have enough health care workers to care for patients in those beds. Let's invest in our health care workforce so that we can give more people the care they need.

Finally, we must do more to ensure that people who reenter society after incarceration are ready to lead productive, law-abiding lives that contribute to their communities. That means supporting them as they search for housing, health care, and job opportunities. The reality is that 95% of people in prison will eventually return to cities and towns across North Carolina. If we close doors of opportunity for them, it's that much more likely that they'll return to the same choices that put them in jail in the first place. Let's help people succeed with their second chance.

The Time Is Now

The connection between public safety and mental health is undeniable. If we invest in one, then we strengthen the other. North Carolinians deserve a government that protects their safety and supports their well-being. The legislature has the chance to do both by passing the public safety package, finally fully funding Medicaid, and making smart investments in mental health.

Let's get it done. Together, let's build a safer, stronger, and healthier North Carolina.

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