New law mandates police officers be in every emergency department in state

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A new law will require every hospital in the state to have a police officer in their emergency departments.

The effort is part of a bipartisan bill passed last year to increase safety for workers and patients.

ABC11 reached out to Duke Health, UNC Health and WakeMed about this section of House Bill 125.

More than 91% of emergency room physicians reported that they or a colleague had been attacked or threatened on the job in a poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians.

UNC Health said its security teams have been working hard with their main branches and satellite campuses to make sure they're complying with the legislation.

Safety has always been top of mind for their campuses outside of the requirements of HB 125, according to Alan Wolf, a spokesperson for UNC Health.

UNC said communication with law enforcement is frequent as they work to find the best ways to protect their staff.

"There is indeed a growing concern nationwide about violence against healthcare workers and unfortunately, UNC Health is not immune to such behavior," Wolf said.

WakeMed said its campus police and public safety teams are sworn law enforcement officers who get training from the Crisis Prevention Institute.

All of its Triangle campuses are staffed 24/7 and other agencies such as the Wake County Sheriff's Office and Raleigh Police can respond if they are needed.

"Wake Med has a long-standing zero tolerance position for any threats or acts of violence against our staff and patients," said a spokesperson for Wake Med. "Just as patients rely on us to provide the highest quality care in the safest environment, our staff deserves the same."

ABC11 had not heard back from Duke Health as of Monday night.