Governor signs police reforms into law

The measures also include new tracking meant to keep problem officers from jumping departments by creating databases accessible to law enforcement and a standards commission, though not the public.

There's new required training, new psychological exams for officers and a new requirement that the the State Bureau of Investigation investigate deaths at the hands of law enforcement when the governor, a law enforcement agency head, a district attorney or the commissioner of prisoners requests it.

"No. 1, this is an important step," Cooper said before he signed the bills. "But, No. 2, there is more to do."

Even so, Cooper said he was "excited" to sign the bills, and even activists who have blasted the measures as inadequate attended Thursday's signing ceremony outside the Executive Mansion. The bills had widespread, bipartisan support in the state legislature, as well as support from law enforcement groups and the state's district attorneys.

Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins, part of a task force Cooper created on criminal justice reform after last year's murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, called the bills "a well-thought-out blueprint for criminal justice reform" that should move North Carolina toward more professional and accountable policing.

"What would we expect if we take off this uniform? That’s what we should expect," Hawkins said.

Sen. Toby Fitch, D-Wilson, called the legislation "a real positive step," though there's more to do.

But Dawn Blagrove, head of Emancipate NC, called the bill "a very, very small step," and she credited activists and protesters for creating a political climate that made it clear politicians couldn't ignore these issues.

"What we see from this process is there is at least an understanding that it cannot be politically ignored any longer, that the inequities within our criminal justice system have got to be addressed," Blagrove said.

But she said databases created by the bills should be public; otherwise law enforcement is policing itself. She also called the final language in the bill on video from police officers' body-worn and dashboard cameras, which does little to increase public access, "egregious."

"Many of these databases have information we all want to see and have been asking for for a very, very long time, yet it is still being hidden from the public. That is a problem," she said.

In NC, a court decides if and when to release body-camera video

Cooper signed three reform bills Thursday: Senate Bill 300, House Bill 436 and House Bill 536. The House bills are redundant to Senate Bill 300, representing a House effort to split reforms across multiple bills, while the state Senate largely rolled them into one.

Here are some of the things the package does:

"Our legislation is focused on not only protecting the public but also helping good officers do their job better while ensuring accountability," said Rep. John Szoka, R-Cumberland, a primary sponsor for both House bills.

"It’s a start of weeding out the good and the bad," said Justice Served NC founder Diana Powell, who added that she hopes the oversight actually happens.

"[It needs to be] definitely followed through, that it is done – when an officer sees another officer’s misconduct, that they won’t continue to turn a blind eye," Powell said.

Asked what reforms he'll press for next, Cooper said he'd like to see bodycam footage become more accessible, something he's said for years. He also said he'd like to see a new requirement that an independent prosecutor be brought in to weigh criminal charges against officers when they kill someone.

Blagrove asked Cooper about this in particular during the press conference, and Cooper replied that he looks forward to continued discussions with district attorneys around the state.

The state's Conference of District Attorneys is a strong lobbying force at the General Assembly, as is law enforcement in general.