Local nonprofit RTI International holds 8th annual community safety meeting

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (WTVD) -- Law enforcement, advocates and professors are coming together for a conference in Research Triangle Park aimed at fostering safe communities.

This is the eighth year of the event which addresses a number of topics including gun violence, recruiting and retention in policing and trends in illegal drug distribution.

Within the past few years, RTI International has helped study calls for service in several towns and cities including Durham, Raleigh and Cary in an effort to best utilize resources.

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Doctor Kevin J. Strom, director at the Center for Public Safety and Resilience, pointed to how some of that work has been integrated.

"Durham has made and other jurisdictions in North Carolina have made tremendous gains and they've stood up this office of community safety. But they've also stood up a multi-pronged strategy, a co-responder model, a response that doesn't involve law enforcement at all. And very quickly they've demonstrated that these things can be done," he said.

In 2021, more than 4,000 North Carolinians died of drug overdoses, a record high, of that amount, NCDHHS estimated 77% involved fentanyl.

Melissia Larson, who is the public safety and harm reduction specialist with RTI, discussed the importance of substance use and mental health treatment.

"One of the big issues that we're facing is that people who have a substance abuse disorder are highly stigmatized. And what that means is that they're suffering in silence. Their family members may not know where those connections are in the community. They may be embarrassed. They may be just really struggling, how do I talk about this issue? And that's how we need to come together as a community and realize this is a behavioral health issue," she said.

On Tuesday the State Senate unanimously passed SB 189. That legislation would clarify and strengthen penalties for dealers, expand the Good Samaritan Law to encourage people to reach out for help, and create a Task Force to study ways police can crack down on manufacturing and distribution.

Also happening this morning the DPS Task Force for Safer Schools is meeting in Raleigh.

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The advisory group involves parents, students, teachers, administrators, law enforcement, juvenile justice and mental health professionals.

That event runs through Thursday.