North Carolina governor advocates MH investments to enhance public safety

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein toured Integrated Family Services in Greenville earlier this month and advocated for comprehensive mental health resources to enhance public safety. The mental health agency will be opening a new behavioral health urgent care later this month, WITN 7 News reported Oct. 9. Gov. Stein advocated for the importance of investing in better mental health resources to improve public safety, especially following the tragic murder in Charlotte in August. “We must have a well‐functioning mental health care system that gets people the treatment and support they need to stay healthy and keep us all safe,” said Stein. “By building on these successful programs that are already making a difference in people's lives, we can prevent people from falling through the cracks.” This comes after the governor signed House Bill 307 into law last week. Also known as “Iryna's Law,” it is dedicated to Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman who was fatally stabbed on the Charlotte light rail in August. Some argue the accused killer had an extensive criminal record and mental health issues that should have been taken more seriously by authorities. HB 307 was signed to allow for thorough mental health evaluations for certain criminals and stricter pretrial release policies.