AG visits Wilmington to talk law enforcement recruitment and retention

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As law enforcement agencies across North Carolina and the country, the NC attorney general is hoping to help address the problem with more funding from the state level.

NC Attorney General Josh Stein paid a visit to Wilmington Police Headquarters on Tuesday to talk about the importance of recruiting and retaining quality police officers.

According to Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams, the department is down six officers on paper. However; realistically, he says they’re short 30 to 40 officers on the streets because of officers who are still in training, on family leave, or similar reasons.

“Our people are working overtime,” Williams said. “We have people that are in management positions, like our watch commanders, they’re out there in the field along with our sergeants taking calls for service. I am hoping that we will soon get relief because that leads to burnout. They can only do that for so long.”

The attorney general is advocating for funding at the state level to incentivize people to join and stay in law enforcement — like offering hiring bonuses for new and out-of-state officers as well as military veterans to prevent “poaching” from other agencies in the state.

“Unfortunately, current versions of the state budget don’t include funding to address many of these challenges,” Stein said. “It’s not enough for us to say we honor and respect law enforcement. We must put our money where our mouth is.”

Other proposed incentives include more mental health resources for officers as well as funding for continuing education and training.