NC budget targets law enforcement pay, public safety staffing

North Carolina lawmakers’ budget plan directs new funding toward law enforcement pay, prosecutor staffing, school safety, and child welfare oversight, as Republican budget writers frame public safety as a central priority in the state spending plan.

“No one should have to second-guess whether their community is safe or whether their families are protected,” said Rep. Charlie Miller, R-Brunswick, a Justice and Public Safety Appropriations co-chair. “That peace of mind comes from the great men and women in law enforcement, the prosecutors working to hold criminals accountable, and the staff who keep our schools safe and secure. That’s who our budget focuses on supporting.”

Under the budget, State Bureau of Investigation and Alcohol Law Enforcement officers would receive an average 20.3% raise, including step increases. SBI civilian personnel would receive an average 27.5% raise.

The State Highway Patrol would also see a significant pay increase, with troopers receiving an average 17.7% raise, including step increases. Highway Patrol civilian personnel would receive raises of up to 11.5%.

Correctional officers would receive an average 15.4% raise, including step increases, while probation and parole officers would receive an average 10.1% raise. Other state law enforcement officers, including State Capitol Police, would receive a 13% raise.

The budget also includes a $1,750 bonus for local law enforcement officers across North Carolina.

“Public safety starts with giving the right people the resources they need to do their jobs well,” said Rep. Allen Chesser, R-Nash, an Appropriations vice chair. “From meaningful raises for law enforcement to additional prosecutors and investments in our kids’ safety, the budget strengthens the systems that keep North Carolinians safe every day.”

Brian Balfour, senior vice president of research at the John Locke Foundation, said the public safety spending reflects a proper role of state government.

“It’s a positive sign to see the legislature take action to address public safety,” Balfour said. “Indeed, the core function and purpose of government is to protect its citizens from harm and violation of their rights. Such protection should be the highest priority of any government, it is the main reason why — as the founders put it — ‘governments are instituted among men.’”

The budget would also expand capacity across the criminal justice system, with new positions aimed at helping prosecutors manage caseloads, strengthen state-federal partnerships, and move serious criminal cases more efficiently.

The spending plan would add 18 new assistant district attorney positions across the state, a move supporters say would help reduce caseloads and allow prosecutors to handle criminal cases more effectively.

Another four assistant district attorneys would be funded to serve as special assistant US attorneys, strengthening coordination between state and federal prosecutors.

The budget also includes funding for 10 new capital criminal appeal attorney positions tied to Iryna’s Law, which aims to improve how serious criminal cases move through the courts.

On the investigative side, the proposal would fund 24 new positions to support SBI investigations and enforcement efforts, including work targeting drug crimes and other offenses.

School safety is also a major focus of the public safety package. The budget includes $30 million for School Safety Grants to support student crisis services, school safety training, and the purchase of safety equipment.

The plan would also establish a Child Welfare Escalation Team and expand resources and training for social services employees to better identify and respond to abuse and neglect. The provision mirrors language previously passed by the House in the Dominique Moody Act, which followed scrutiny of North Carolina’s child welfare system after the death of 6-year-old Dominique Moody.

The funding comes after a legislative oversight hearing earlier this session revealed serious failures within the child welfare system, including poor communication among county DSS offices, missed opportunities to intervene, and unclear lines of responsibility when cases become critical, leading to her death.

The House unanimously approved that legislation earlier this year, with lawmakers emphasizing the need for stronger oversight, clearer communication between agencies, and faster intervention in high-risk cases. Supporters say incorporating those reforms into the budget ensures the changes are funded and can be implemented statewide.

The budget provisions come during a session in which public safety has remained a major focus for lawmakers, extending beyond pay raises and prosecutor funding.

On Wednesday, the House voted 105-10 to concur with the Senate committee substitute for House Bill 1104, Improve IVC Process and Enhance Public Safety, sending the measure to the governor after it passed the Senate, 45-3, on Tuesday.

The bill grew out of the House Select Committee on Involuntary Commitment and Public Safety, which met during the interim to examine gaps in the state’s mental health, court, and law enforcement systems.

The legislation makes changes to North Carolina’s involuntary commitment process, including provisions dealing with outpatient commitment, treatment plans, information sharing, law enforcement access to behavioral health records, and bed availability.

The legislation also seeks to address what lawmakers have described as a recurring cycle involving people with severe mental illness who move between arrest, detention, involuntary commitment, and release without long-term stabilization.

Additionally, the bill directs additional study of jail-based behavioral health care, capacity restoration, state psychiatric hospital services, and the overlap between involuntary commitment and criminal defendants deemed incapable to proceed.

Together, the public safety provisions represent one of the major themes of the broader state budget debate, with Republican lawmakers emphasizing recruitment, retention, prosecution, and child protection as key pieces of the spending plan.

“NC budget targets law enforcement pay, public safety staffing” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.