Governor Stein honors fallen officers at annual memorial ceremony in Greensboro

GREENSBORO, NC (WWAY) — Governor Josh Stein attended the 41st annual North Carolina Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony on Tuesday, honoring law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.

The ceremony was held at Lawndale Baptist Church in Greensboro and hosted by Attorney General Jeff Jackson.

“We ask law enforcement officers to run toward danger when the rest of us might flee, and today we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe,” Stein said. “We owe them a debt that we can never adequately repay, so the least we can do is to offer our praise and our gratitude to their families – and to value the profession like it deserves.”

This year’s ceremony honored Officer Adrian Newton, Officer Mark Laskowski, Officer Francisco Flattes and Officer Roger Smith.

Stein has attended the annual memorial each year since his time serving as attorney general.

The governor recently joined the 200 Club of Wake County in recognizing first responders and reaffirmed his support for law enforcement across the state.

Last month, Stein called on the General Assembly to pass a $1.4 billion Critical Needs Budget aimed at addressing urgent statewide priorities while a broader budget is negotiated.

The proposal includes $211 million to boost public safety careers and help agencies recruit and retain personnel. It calls for a 6.5% raise for juvenile court counselors and probation and parole officers, along with a 10% raise for correctional officers, law enforcement officers and youth counselors.

The plan also includes a 10% pay increase for nurses and behavioral health technicians at state-run facilities, an effort Stein says would strengthen mental health services and support overall public safety.