NC public safety chief stepping down

“Thanks to the leadership of Erik Hooks, North Carolina is a safer, more prepared state,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. “Under Secretary Hooks, the Department of Public Safety has put the safety of North Carolinians first, working to combat crime, respond to emergencies, including a once-in-a-generation pandemic, attract and retain quality staff and address inequities in the justice system. I’ve been fortunate to know Secretary Hooks for more than two decades, and while his leadership and counsel will be missed, I congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement."

Before Cooper appointed him to his cabinet, Hooks served 27 years with the State Bureau of Investigation, rising to assistant director in 2005.

DPS is the state's largest department, comprised of about 27,000 sworn law enforcement and civilian employees, along with nearly 12,000 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen. As secretary, Hooks also served as the homeland security advisor for North Carolina.

“It has been the highest honor of my professional life to lead the thousands of men and women who serve with distinction in the various components of the Department of Public Safety,” Hooks said in a statement. “I am particularly proud of our work together to save and protect lives. Serving with these dedicated professionals through unprecedented natural disasters, human tragedies, homeland security challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been extraordinary."

A native of Spring Lake, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees from North Carolina State University. He completed the FBI National Executive Institute and the Commandant’s National Security Program at the U.S. Army War College.