Erik Hooks Coverage

Former NC public safety chief sworn into second-in-command position at FEMA

Former state Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks was sworn in as the Federal Emergency Management Agency's deputy administrator on Monday.

Sydney Franklin, WRAL multiplatform producer

Biden picks outgoing NC public safety chief for No. 2 position at FEMA

Days before he's set to leave office, state Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks was nominated Wednesday to become deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

NC public safety chief stepping down

Public Safety Secretary Erik Hooks announced Wednesday that he plans to retire on Aug. 1 after 41/2 years in charge of the state Department of Public Safety.

Judge: NC prisons out of compliance with court orders

North Carolina prisons are out of compliance with a court order, a judge said Friday afternoon.

Jordan Wilkie, Carolina Public Press

NC public safety agency gave $1.7M in raises to senior officers, staff

The state Department of Public Safety raised salaries for more than 300 senior leaders and law enforcement officers in April, totaling about $1.7 million annually.

Tyler Dukes, WRAL investigative reporter

State public safety chief gets 15 percent raise, spurs wave of criticism

The head of the state Department of Public Safety, charged with overseeing everything from prisons to the state's response to emergencies, quietly received a $23,000 pay bump in April as the legislature geared up to debate the future of the state's largest agency.

Tyler Dukes, WRAL investigative reporter

Inadequate staffing, 'meaner' inmates make NC prisons more dangerous, officials say

North Carolina's prison system is taking an array of steps to increase safety and security following the deaths of five corrections workers last year, Secretary of Public Safety Erik Hooks and his staff told lawmakers Thursday.

Matthew Burns and Laura Leslie