Governor Jim Hunt honored 16 North Carolina agencies, groups and individuals today when he presented the 1998 Crime Prevention Awards for Excellence. Richard Moore, secretary of the N. C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and Tony Queen, director of the N. C. Crime Prevention Division, joined the governor for the 1 p.m. ceremony held in the Old Senate Chambers of the State Capitol. The annual awards honor outstanding initiatives in preventing crime in North Carolina. The great news is that what they are doing is working.
Crime rates are down in almost every category.
Working together, we will build on these successes. Four of today's honorees returned to accept an award for the second year in a row. The Raleigh, Greenville, Carthage and Winston-Salem Police Departments also took home awards in 1997. We still have a lot of road to travel, but it is clear, with the help and enthusiasm of people like these, that we are making real progress in preventing crimes of all types in North Carolina. English and literacy classes have been instituted that emphasize life skills and safety, and offer a model for diffusing misunderstandings, building trust, and improving community relationships between varying cultures.