Governor Stein Honors Law Enforcement at 41st Annual Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony

Today Governor Stein attended the 41st annual North Carolina Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro, hosted by Attorney General Jeff Jackson in honor of law enforcement professionals who have fallen in the line of duty.

"We ask law enforcement officers to run toward danger when the rest of us might flee, and today we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe," said Governor Josh Stein. "We owe them a debt that we can never adequately repay, so the least we can do is to offer our praise and our gratitude to their families - and to value the profession like it deserves."

Governor Stein attended the annual North Carolina Peace Officers' Memorial Ceremony each year it was held during his service as Attorney General. This year, the ceremony honored Officer Adrian Newton, Officer Mark Laskowski, Officer Francisco Flattes, and Officer Roger Smith.

Governor Stein recently joined the 200 Club of Wake County in honoring North Carolina's first responders and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting law enforcement officers and keeping North Carolinians safe. Last month, Governor Stein called on the General Assembly to pass a $1.4 billion Critical Needs Budget that addresses North Carolina's most urgent needs while lawmakers continue to work on a comprehensive state budget. The proposal includes $211 million to make public safety careers more competitive and ensure agencies have the personnel needed to keep all North Carolinians safe. This budget calls for a 6.5% raise for juvenile court counselors and probation and parole officers and a 10% raise for correctional officers, law enforcement officers, and youth counselors. It also includes a 10% pay increase for nurses and behavioral health technicians at all state-run facilities, helping strengthen mental health services and promote public safety.