N.C. public safety chief promotes prevention strategy that includes securing firearms owned by law-abiding citizens
By Annie Dance | Lake Lure News | Cops & Congress | News & Commentary | Reporting from Rutherfordton, NC
North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) said the state cannot arrest its way out of crime on a taxpayer-funded July 31 podcast. His prevention strategy includes a focus on firearms kept in the homes of law-abiding residents.
Secretary Smythe said traditional law enforcement remains necessary, but argued that preventing crime requires going beyond arrests.
“We probably can’t arrest our way out of a crime problem,” Smythe said. “Arrest is a component of the solution, but it’s not the solution.”
Smythe specifically pointed to NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively), a state program focused on securing firearms.
“We’re supplying locks. We’re supplying information. We’re sharing this information across the state,” Smythe said.
He said the stated goal is to reduce firearm injuries, “primarily to children from unsecured weapons.”
The approach puts firearm storage — including firearms kept by lawful owners — within the state’s broader crime-prevention strategy, but critics say those policies are antithetical to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Smythe described NCSAFE as “securing all firearms” and called it a “youth protective effort.”
He said the state should maintain the program long enough to measure whether it produces results, rather than abandoning programs after a short period.
“In 2030, we’re going to look back at the data and say, we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in youthful deaths because of the steps that we’ve taken from the NCSAFE program,” Smythe said.
Smythe’s comments come as he advocates for a broader definition of crime prevention.
He said prevention can include job programs, education and family welfare, alongside policing and arrests.
“Those prevention aspects go hand-in-hand with arrest strategies,” he said.
For gun owners, that means firearm storage is part of the prevention equation Smythe is promoting.
State law already has robust definitions of crime prevention and programs, such as the Juvenile Crime Prevention Program, managed locally by counties and partners. How programs are effectively carried out in practice depends on the jurisdiction, policies and financial resources.
The state’s prevention strategy is aimed not only at people who commit crimes, but also at circumstances that can allow a crime, injury or death to occur.
Smythe said the same philosophy should apply across other public safety programs.
“If I put a fine point on it,” he said, “it’s consistency.”
He argued that North Carolina should continue programs that demonstrate results while testing new approaches based on data and best practices.
The result is a public safety philosophy that combines traditional enforcement with efforts to prevent incidents before police ever respond.
Why People Support Storage Laws
Stops kids from finding loaded guns at home.
Lowers rates of gun accidents and self-harm.
Cuts down on stolen guns used in street crimes.
Fits into a public health view of crime control.
Why People Oppose Storage Laws
Violates the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Makes it hard to grab a gun fast during a sudden break-in.
Penalizes gun owners instead of punishing actual criminals.
Read the full transcript in the player above from the Safety Scoop podcast and/or on my DocumentCloud.
The transcript is not currently available on the DPS website.
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