John,

On March 14th, Governor Cooper signed an Executive Order creating North Carolina’s Office of Violence Prevention. We have an exciting update to share: yesterday, he announced Dr. Gerard Tate as the first Director!

Dr. Tate brings a wealth of experience working with local partners and law enforcement. An Iraq war veteran, he has a doctorate in social work as well as private sector experience supporting community-level safety strategies.

North Carolina’s Office of Violence Prevention is only one of six such statewide efforts in the country. By coordinating efforts across state agencies and partnering with local leaders, the new office will focus on reducing violence and firearm misuse in North Carolina. Supporting local efforts and community violence intervention programs (CVIs) requires layered approaches to address the causes of gun violence.

As Gov. Cooper said in March, “All of us deserve to feel safe in our homes, our schools and our communities. This new office will help coordinate the efforts to reduce violent crime, tackle both intentional and careless gun injuries and deaths, and work to keep people safe.”

Many thanks to Governor Cooper for his leadership in preventing gun violence throughout North Carolina. This is a major step forward for gun violence prevention our state!

Becky Ceartas,
NCGV Executive Director


North Carolinians Against Gun Violence
PO Box 51565
Durham, NC 27717
United States
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