From Staff Reports 

EDNEYVILLE — State Attorney General Josh Stein on May 31 visited Western North Carolina to highlight his plan to address law enforcement officer shortages, according to a press release from Stein’s office.

Speaking at the State Crime Laboratory’s Western Campus in Edneyville, Stein was joined by other law enforcement leaders and “detailed initiatives that would help recruit and retain officers across the state,’ the release noted.

“Law enforcement leaders in Western North Carolina have long been vocal about the challenges they face in trying to recruit and keep and talented officers,” Stein was quoted as saying in the release. “I’m glad to be with them today to discuss concrete solutions that will help us get and keep the right officers on the job and make our communities safer.”

Meanwhile, Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin said, accordiing to the release, “Now, more than ever, North Carolina needs — and deserves — dedicated professionals with staunch integrity to protect and serve its communities.

“To attract and retain these professionals, North Carolina must appreciate and support the men and women who answer the calling to become law enforcement professionals. This support must include incentives which appeal to the professional law enforcement officers North Carolinians so richly deserve,” Griffin stated.

The attorney general’s plan includes the following proposals:

• Offer law enforcement hiring bonuses to out-of-state officers and military veterans.

• Launch a public awareness and out-of-state recruiting campaign.

• Stop the pension penalty so that retired officers can continue to work.

• Incentivize further education and training for officers.

• Offer mental health and wellness resources.

• Expand the Criminal Justice Fellows program to all 100 North Carolina counties.

“Stein’s efforts to address the law enforcement staffing shortage are part of his broader efforts to improve public safety in North Carolina,” the release stated. “Attorney General Stein’s public safety proposals, which include strategies for combatting drugs, common-sense gun safety measures, and more are described” online at www.doj.gov.