Law enforcement agencies warn legislators of rising demands
North Carolina’s top prosecutors and state law enforcement leaders urged lawmakers to align authority, staffing, and funding with growing public safety demands during a Feb. 12 hearing of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety.
The bipartisan panel heard presentations from the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, the State Bureau of Investigation, the State Highway Patrol, NC Alcohol Law Enforcement, and the NC Association of Police Chiefs, in a meeting that highlighted both structural reform proposals and operational challenges.
Two themes dominated the nearly two-hour session: whether district attorneys should gain greater administrative independence and whether state law enforcement agencies can sustain rising caseloads amid competition for qualified personnel.
District attorneys press for structural change
Charles Spahos, general counsel and legislative liaison for the Conference of District Attorneys, outlined a proposal that would transfer certain administrative functions from the Administrative Office of the Courts to the conference itself.
“This is to discuss legislative changes to facilitate a transition of duties, responsibilities, and authorities and the assets to manage those for the district attorneys from the administrative office of courts to the conference of district attorneys,” Spahos told lawmakers.
North Carolina’s 42 elected district attorneys — a number scheduled to increase to 43 — prosecute criminal cases statewide. Spahos emphasized that their authority is rooted in the state constitution. About 20 of them were present at the hearing.
“The authority to prosecute is conferred from the Constitution and some statutory provisions and not conferred from the Superior Court,” he said.
District Attorney for the 35th District, Seth Banks, president of the conference, argued that centralized administration can create delays and rigid policies that do not reflect local realities.
“We encounter approval chains that are removed from local circumstances, local case realities that we deal with every day,” Banks said. “We encounter standardized policies that are often applied to highly individualized cases and very different districts.”
“Administrative uniformity does not always support justice,” he added.
Banks emphasized that prosecutors are not seeking to leave the judicial branch.
“We’re not seeking for you all to transfer us to the executive branch,” he said. “We believe that this can be done within the current framework that the North Carolina Constitution provides. We can remain in the judicial branch and essentially be a subagency within the judicial branch.”
Under the proposal, the conference would manage its own budget allocations, hiring decisions, and prosecutorial technology systems. Banks framed the request as an issue of accountability.
“When the responsibility for outcomes rests with elected district attorneys across this state, so should the ability to manage those resources in a way to meet that responsibility in a timely fashion,” he said.
SBI: ‘We don’t say no anymore’
SBI Director Chip Hawley told lawmakers that his agency’s workload has expanded significantly, particularly in response to fentanyl trafficking and overdose deaths.
“Overdoses rose by 850% between 2000 and 2023,” Hawley said, noting that more than 41,000 North Carolinians have died during that span.
He said the agency has increased fentanyl seizures and strengthened partnerships with federal and local law enforcement.
“We have seen a significant increase in fentanyl seizures,” Hawley said, describing coordinated investigations across jurisdictions.
Hawley characterized the agency’s posture as one of full engagement.
“The SBI doesn’t say no anymore,” he told the committee, explaining that the agency now responds to requests for assistance from local departments across the state.
That shift, he said, reflects a commitment to support local law enforcement in complex cases, including officer-involved shootings, homicide investigations, and multi-county drug operations.
“We are working together more closely than ever before,” Hawley said.
But he acknowledged that the broader service model increases demands on agents.
“Our caseloads continue to increase,” Hawley said, pointing to rising investigative hours and forensic analysis workloads.
Highway Patrol warns of widening pay gap
Col. Freddy Johnson Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol, echoed concerns about staffing and retention.
“There’s always been sort of an us and a them, but now it’s a W and an E — it’s a we,” Johnson said, referring to enhanced cooperation among state agencies.
Johnson thanked lawmakers for the recent salary increases for state law enforcement officers.
“I appreciate that both chambers see the value in state law enforcement,” he said.
Still, he warned that local departments are raising pay at a faster pace.
“As local law enforcement agencies have increased salaries, we are falling further behind and are unable to remain competitive,” Johnson said.
Johnson explained that troopers receive extensive training in crash reconstruction, commercial motor vehicle enforcement, and criminal interdiction. After gaining experience, some leave for higher-paying municipal or county positions.
“If we cannot remain competitive, we will continue to see experienced troopers leave,” he said, noting that turnover carries training costs and reduces institutional knowledge.
Johnson said recurring funding is essential to stabilize the workforce and maintain coverage across all 100 counties. He tied staffing levels directly to highway safety outcomes, citing population growth and heavier traffic volumes.
“We’re moving as one,” Johnson said of interagency cooperation.
ALE underscores regulatory mission
Bryan House, director of Alcohol Law Enforcement, described his agency’s role in both criminal investigations and regulatory compliance.
“Our agents are often working side by side with local law enforcement and state partners,” House said, emphasizing coordinated enforcement strategies.
He said ALE’s work intersects with drug enforcement, alcohol compliance checks, and broader public safety initiatives.
Continued oversight ahead
The committee adjourned without taking formal action, but lawmakers signaled continued review of the district attorney autonomy proposal and law enforcement funding needs.
The hearing underscored a shared message from prosecutors and agency heads: as North Carolina grows and drug-related investigations intensify, the state’s justice system must adapt — structurally and financially — to keep pace.
“Law enforcement agencies warn legislators of rising demands” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.
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