The give and take between legislators and law enforcement is legendary in North Carolina. While you’ll never hear a politician say he or she is opposed to strengthening our police departments, there is the reality of limited funding.
This week, Johnston County deputies will benefit from a new computer program called NC Aware, because politicians finally decided to fund it.
The program is eight years in the making. It gives officers and deputies immediate access to statewide computer systems, to get information on the people they stop or arrest. For $13.5 million, the pilot program in Johnston County will allow officers to fast-track arrest warrants.
In the future, they’ll know if the person is wanted for a violent crime or on probation for something else. What a concept: law enforcement and the courts working together to reduce outstanding warrants, and giving law enforcement the upper hand when venturing into the unknown world of traffic stops and drug arrests. Keep up the good work.
