Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2023, $7,619,902)
The State of North Carolina is proposing to apply and utilize the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Formula funds in order to enhance the public safety for all its citizens. The State Administering Agency (SAA) is the North Carolina Governor's Crime Commission under the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and this agency will apply for and distribute these funds to ensure that they are utilized in the most efficient manner possible.
These funds will be utilized to help continue supporting the Behavioral Threat Assessment Program administered by the State Bureau of Investigation. This program has proven to have much success in the evaluation of persons of concern through an evidence-based threat assessment process. This process is intended to determine if a person of concern is exhibiting behaviors consistent with the pathway to violence and identify appropriate management and mitigation recommendations for the individual. This program has shown that often the best way to prevent an incident of catastrophic proportions is to identify the individual or individuals before they can act.
Funds will also be used to help with court based training programs to ensure that both court officials and law enforcement officials are properly trained in relinquishment procedures for firearms for certain offenders. Many Chiefs and Sheriffs are in need of proper gun storage for not just their officers but for the community as well. Many law enforcement executives have stated that if they had adequate tools for proper gun storage in their community, that many of these unnecessary and senseless incidents would more than likely not occur. Funds from this federal grant award will be utilized for this purpose.
The service areas for these proposals are the entire state of North Carolina and the beneficiaries are all citizens of the state. The expected outcome is that the Behavioral Threat Assessment Program will help the State Bureau of Investigation help reduce the time they spend on tracking down potential offenders and anytime an entire community is safer from unwarranted violent crime by having weapons secure, then everyone will benefit.
The funds that are being allocated from the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program were a result of a bipartisan effort in the federal government. It was a rare moment of two political ideologies finding some common ground. The State of North Carolina intends to honor that spirit and ensure that these funds will help all people and all communities.