Attorney General Jeff Jackson Hosts Roundtable on Preventing Domestic Violence Deaths in North Carolina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
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RALEIGH - Attorney General Jeff Jackson hosted a roundtable conversation on Tuesday with local and state leaders about efforts to keep North Carolinians safe from domestic violence. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), Sen. Jim Burgin, Rep. Grant Campbell, Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe, Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West, and Sparta Police Chief George E. Wilson Jr. all joined the conversation, along with representatives from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts, the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Governor's Crime Commission, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Helpmate Domestic Violence Services, the Family Justice Center of Alamance County, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Atrium Health, and the State Bureau of Investigation.

Additional photos from the roundtable are available here.

Attorney General Jackson and the North Carolina Department of Justice lead the statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review team. The statewide group brings together county-level teams including prosecutors, law enforcement officers, domestic violence survivors, social service providers, medical examiners, and domestic violence service providers. They meet regularly to look at how a domestic violence homicide or suicide happened, and what might be done differently to prevent future violence and deaths.

Domestic violence deaths are rising in North Carolina. In 2024, the state saw 155 homicides related to domestic violence. In 2025, that number jumped to 162 victims. The team's conversation focused on ways to help address the risk factors linked to domestic violence deaths, including strengthening prosecution for strangulation crimes, educating students about healthy relationships and dating violence, training law enforcement and medical professionals to identify high-risk victims, training judges and lawyers on domestic violence dynamics in child custody and domestic cases, and intervening to prevent offenders from committing future violence.

"I'm grateful to everyone who joined us for this conversation and helped us identify real solutions that will keep families safe," said Attorney General Jackson. "We all have different experience and play different roles, but we're on the same page about keeping people safe from violence. I look forward to implementing these solutions in the coming months."

"Having such highly qualified team members from all perspectives of the domestic violence issue was inspiring and informative," said Rep. Grant Campbell. "I look forward to our continued work to make victims safer in North Carolina."

"Domestic violence is a devastating reality for far too many women in North Carolina," said Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02). "With the right interventions, resources, and support, we can help survivors escape dangerous situations and reduce the risk of domestic violence-related suicides and deaths. During my time in the state legislature, I worked alongside women from both parties to strengthen our state's domestic violence laws. I'm grateful to Attorney General Jackson for bringing people together for this roundtable in that same bipartisan spirit. Protecting women from violence and abuse is never a political issue, and I will continue fighting to ensure every survivor has the support they need to find safety and move forward."

"My hope is that today represents the beginning of meaningful solutions and impactful changes that will help ensure domestic violence victims receive the justice, attention, protection, and services they deserve," said Sparta Police Chief George E. Wilson Jr. "When we put differences aside, bring the right people to the table, and remain focused on victims and their needs, we have an opportunity to make a lasting difference."

"I want to deeply thank Attorney General Jeff Jackson for creating a dedicated, collaborative space where we can candidly discuss our concerns regarding domestic violence homicides and share actionable ideas to attack this critical issue from all angles," said Dr. Endora Crawford, Crisis Prevention and Response Manager for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and representative for the Mecklenburg County Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team. "I am especially grateful to the Attorney General for ensuring that our team was included in this vital conversation. It allowed us to serve as a direct voice for the children who are profoundly impacted by these tragedies and frequently caught in the systemic cycle of domestic trauma."

NCDOJ runs the state's Lethality Assessment Program (LAP), a lifesaving tool to help law enforcement respond to domestic violence incidents and connect victims to support and safety. NCDOJ helps law enforcement agencies and victim service agencies across the state adopt the program.

NCDOJ also operates the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) for victims and survivors of violence and abuse. As part of a comprehensive safety plan, this program helps keep victims' addresses private from their abusers. The department's Criminal Bureau also prosecutes domestic violence cases at the request of district attorneys and defends criminal convictions against people convicted of domestic violence crimes.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and need support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or visit https://www.thehotline.org/.

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