Governor Roy Cooper announced a series of grants on Thursday intended to prevent domestic abusers from accessing firearms. The Governor’s Crime Commission greenlit Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grants totaling $74,000 to help train judges and prosecutors and support domestic violence victims. The Commission also voted to allocate roughly $1 million for domestic firearm reduction programs.
Catherine Johnson directs the Guilford County Family Justice Center. She says while she’s pleased by the Governor’s announcement, it coincides with a significant decline in another important federal resource: Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, funding.
"But it’s the irony that on Wednesday at a Victims Services subcommittee where we’re talking about drastic cuts and if we only had $3 million dollars to distribute across our state, where would it go," says Johnson. "And I mean shelter leaders and domestic violence leaders from across our state are saying, 'What are we going to do?' I mean that is just not enough."
According to the Governor’s Crime Commission, in 2024 VOCA funding for North Carolina dropped by more than 40%, continuing 6 years of declines. To help solve the problem, Johnson suggests earmarking more state funds to meet the needs of programs across the region.