It shall be the duty of the Department of Public Safety to do all of the following:

(1)        Provide assigned law enforcement and emergency services to protect the public against crime and against natural and man-made disasters.

(2)        To plan and direct a coordinated effort by the law enforcement agencies of State government and to ensure maximum cooperation between State and local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime.

(3)        To prepare annually, in consultation with the Judicial Department and the Department of Justice, a State plan for the State’s criminal justice system.

(4)        To serve as the State’s chief coordinating agency to control crime, to ensure the safety of the public, and to ensure an effective and efficient State criminal justice system.

(5)        To have charge of investigations of criminal matters particularly set forth in this Article and of such other crimes and areas of concern in the criminal justice system as the Governor may direct.

(6)        To regularly patrol the highways of the State and enforce all laws and regulations respecting travel and the use of vehicles upon the highways of the State and all laws for the protection of the highways of the State.

(7)        To provide North Carolina National Guard troops trained by the State to federal standards.

(8)        To ensure the preparation, coordination, and currency of military and civil preparedness plans and the effective conduct of emergency operations by all participating agencies to sustain life and prevent, minimize, or remedy injury to persons and damage to property resulting from disasters caused by enemy attack or other hostile actions or from disasters due to natural or man-made causes.

(9)        To develop a plan for a coordinated and integrated electronic communications system for State government and cooperating local agencies, including coordination and integration of existing electronic communications systems.

(10)      Repealed by Session Laws 2021-180, s. 19C.9(h), effective January 1, 2023.

(11)      To carry out the relevant provisions of Part 3 of this Article, Chapter 7B of the N.C. Gen. Stat., and other provisions of the General Statutes governing juvenile justice and the prevention of delinquent acts by juveniles.

(12)      To provide central storage and management of evidence according to the provisions of Article 13 of Chapter 15A of the N.C. Gen. Stat. and create and maintain a databank of statewide storage locations of postconviction evidence or other similar programs.

(13)      To provide central storage and management of rape kits according to the federal Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 with specific protections against release of names of victims providing anonymous or “Jane Doe” rape kits without victim consent.

(14)      To provide for the storage and management of evidence. ?(2011-145, s. 19.1(b); 2011-183, s. 127(c); 2011-195, s. 1(d); 2011-391, s. 43(b); 2012-83, s. 65; 2021-180, s. 19C.9(h).)