New Directive From Governor Focuses On Gun Safety, Crime Reporting

Governor Roy Cooper signed a new gun safety Executive Directive on Monday. It aims to strengthen background checks among other things.

Cooper shared the information at the School Safety Summit in Greensboro. He says this can help stop guns from getting into the wrong hands, but it only works if you have good data.

He ordered the state Bureau of Investigation to form a working group to determine how the state can get more information about convictions into the federal database.

“They have already been successful in transferring about 284,000 convictions to that database over the past year or so, but my directive asks them to step that up, bring in more people, try to find more ways that we can get more information into the national database," says Cooper. 

The governor's order also includes the following:

• The SBI will provide Behavioral Threat Assessment training to local law enforcement agencies to help local law enforcement connect these individuals identified as a potential risk to harming others with supportive community services.
• The SBI will increase the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center's outreach to businesses and community groups in order to build community awareness of domestic terrorism indicators.

Improving Public Health and Incident Response (DHHS Directives)

• The directive orders the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to promote safe storage of personal firearms.
• DHHS and the Division of Emergency Management will develop guidance for local governments to help share information and reunite loved ones in the wake of a mass shooting or other major incident.
• DHHS will also convene a coalition of suicide prevention stakeholders to update the state's Suicide Prevention Plan.

This comes as Democrats recently introduced two gun regulation bills in the legislature. Cooper says he wants a hearing on the proposed legislation and more consideration for “red flag laws” that could be put in place.

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