On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 145 to establish the North Carolina Task Force for Equity in Criminal Justice. This group will be led by Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls and NC Attorney General, Josh Stein.
The task force’s goal will be to develop and implement strategies to help eliminate racism in our criminal justice system.
Cooper stated that NC Public Safety Secretary, Erik Hooks, has directed all state law enforcement agencies under the Department to ensure they have a clear duty to intervene policy. He clarified that his policy means if an officer sees a fellow officer doing wrong, they must step in.
Agencies have been instructed to review their existing policies including arrest procedures, use of force, and de-escalation.