Blog: DPS Dispatch

Every day across the state members of the NC Department of Public Safety – whether sworn or civilian – serve to protect the lives and property of those living in and visiting our state. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic staff have expanded their responsibilities to help distribute PPE, share lifesaving information or assist with vaccine rollout.  Probation and Parole Officer Cindy Ulibarri, a member of Unit O in Cleveland County, took on additional responsibilities this year while assisting with a community vaccination clinic. She has been with NCDPS for six years. 

For nearly 40 years, May 25 has been declared National Missing Children's Day. The annual designation, which began in 1983, is designed to draw attention to and prioritize child safety. The commemoration serves as a reminder to continue efforts to reunite missing children with their families and an occasion to honor those dedicated to the cause. 

Protect, prevent and prepare. Employees throughout the Department of Public Safety embody this mission daily as they safeguard and preserve the lives and property of North Carolinians. Across the state DPS employees conduct their jobs in variety of ways supporting the mission. Some work at a desk, patrol the roads, investigate crimes or secure correctional facilities. Wherever the setting, DPS staff are there to protect, prevent and prepare.

Rapid molecular testing is anticipated to save Prisons time and money N.C. Prisons has invested in a newly approved COVID-19 testing platform, eliminating the need for outside labs to test for the virus. Lab manager Katie Gaffney of MD-BIO (right) walks Central Prison medical personnel -(from left) lab technician Donna Sulton, nurse director Elissa Brody and lab technician Kenyetta Johnson - through the procedures during a training session for a new molecular testing system

Spring is in the air, summer is around the corner and people are enjoying pleasant weather across North Carolina. Hikers are making their way along a mountain trail where a waterfall cascades to the stream below. The stream winds its way through the lush forests to a river that rolls through the Piedmont. Greenways along the riverside are bustling with people pushing strollers and cruising along on a bike ride. The river eventually makes its way to the ocean, where rolling waves break lazily along the coastline. Beachgoers sit under colorful umbrellas and enjoy the cool ocean breeze.

With new COVID-19 cases on the decline, prisons providing vaccinations to all incarcerated individuals who want the vaccine; and  vaccines now widely available in communities across the state; the N.C. Department of Public Safety is wrapping up a project that provided quarantine space to recently released offenders who may have been exposed to COVID-19 prior to release. This group would have otherwise been homeless or didn’t have a stable home to go to following completion of their sentences.

Prisons leadership this week honored several employees – including North Carolina’s Warden of the Year - for their outstanding work, tireless dedication and extraordinary achievements in the past year. “These men and women represent the best of our best from across the state,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons. “They are hard-working, innovative and deeply committed to their jobs, their colleagues and to the care of the men and women in our custody. They deserve recognition and accolades, particularly during this year of pandemic.”

Celebrates Staff for a Year of Dedication in a Pandemic North Carolina Prisons leadership today honored the men and women who fell in the line of duty, mourned those who succumbed to COVID-19 and celebrated the staff who have worked with such dedication during the past year of pandemic. “It is a time to honor our men and women we’ve lost,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons, during a ceremony today for Correctional Officers and Correctional Employee Appreciation Week.

Research has identified seven critical domains where children returning to their communities following involvement in the juvenile justice system face challenges and opportunities when it comes to the likelihood of continued or future involvement in the criminal justice system. A North Carolina program funded in part through a federal second chance grant is helping Juvenile Justice address barriers found in with one especially challenging domain – successful school placement of these young people upon return to their communities.

Spring is an active time for farmers and members of our state’s agricultural industry. Did you know that in North Carolina it is legal for farm equipment to travel on most public roads? The exception to this includes interstates and controlled access roadways. “Our farmers are out working hard right now as they are one of North Carolina’s most important economic engines,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Please be careful when you see farm trucks and equipment out on the road so they can do their jobs while everyone stays safe.” 

The North Carolina Juvenile Justice Section is continually increasing and improving opportunities available for juveniles to return to their communities following commitment in youth development centers. The importance of proper reentry was heightened over the past 17 months when the age of youth potentially housed in juvenile hustice facilities was raised to 18. This change meant older teenagers and young adults involved in non-violent offenses could receive more focused and age-appropriate rehabilitation and reentry services.

As the agency’s mission states, the 37,000 employees of the Department of Public Safety work daily to ‘safeguard and preserve the lives and property of North Carolinians through prevention, protection and preparation.’ Yet the efforts of thousands of volunteers helping in various programs across the state is equally important in fulfilling that mission.  Whether rebuilding homes for disaster victims or helping justice-involved individuals reestablish productive lives, volunteers in these DPS programs offer their hands and hope for a brighter future.  Offender outreach opportunities

The North Carolina Juvenile Justice section is committed to the reduction and prevention of juvenile delinquency through intervening, educating and treating youth to strengthen families and increase public safety.

The vaccines have been a game-changer It’s been a year since the pandemic first hit our state prison system. We’ve endured an awful year of heartbreak, surprises, adaptation, perseverance and the most logistically complicated mass-vaccination initiative since the polio vaccine was rolled out in the 1950s. The hard work is paying off. The vaccines are making a huge difference. They are working.

Gov. Roy Cooper proclaimed April Distracted Driving Awareness Month to draw attention to the non-driving activities that can take our eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or interrupt our concentration. While drivers texting is the leading cause of distracted driving incidents, there are other risky activities that are just as dangerous. Any action that causes a driver’s eyes or attention to shift from the road is considered distracted driving, including eating or drinking, putting on makeup, adjusting the radio volume or even engaging with other passengers in the vehicle.