news-record.com

Occupation
Attorney General

Birthdate
June 13, 1957

Address
PO Box 10587
Raleigh, NC 27605

Web site/e-mail address
www.roycooper.com

Party affiliation
Democrat

Elective experience
Attorney General, 2001-present
NC Senator, 1991-2000
NC House of Representatives, 1986-1992

Other relevant experience
Managing partner & attorney in law practice

Family
Wife, Kristin, three daughters

Why have you chosen to run for this office?
We have made great progress strengthening law enforcement and keeping the people of North Carolina safe and I want to build on that work. I am working to strengthen the state's sex offender laws to give communities more information on where predators live and to catch repeat offenders. I want law enforcement to have the strongest tools to fight crime, and for prosecutors to have tough laws to lock up violent criminals and drug dealers, particularly traffickers who bring in dangerous drugs from other countries. We are attacking the growing gang problem in North Carolina with tougher laws, better technology for investigators and prevention that will help keep kids from joining gangs in the first place.

What distinguishes you most from your opponent?
I have the experience and a proven record fighting crime and keeping North Carolina safe.

Key qualifications you would bring to the job:
I've helped lead North Carolina's fight against crime with proven results. The crime lab is a premier agency recognized nationwide. We've more than tripled the number of DNA experts and have caught a record number of criminals using DNA. We've put a new crime lab here in Greensboro to get evidence back to Triad law enforcement more quickly. North Carolina escaped the thousands of meth labs like other western states because of our comprehensive approach. We pushed to take meth ingredients out of the hands of the drug makers, putting North Carolina in the lead of East Coast states to do so. Instead of increasing like in other states, the number of meth labs in our state has actually decreased by 40% since 2005. We've also protected consumers by getting more than $80 million from violators and returning money to consumers' pockets. When the Duke Lacrosse cases threatened our state's faith in the court system and its reputation nationwide we put it right.

List your top three campaign issues and your stances on those issues (briefly, please)
Keeping our children safe from sex offenders with tougher laws, more tools for law enforcement, better community information and safety rules for kids on the Internet.
Cracking down on illegal drugs and traffickers with better detection and interdiction through good law enforcement.
Prosecuting violent criminals through investigative tools like the DNA database, firearms analysis and forensics examinations.

What is the most important responsibility of the attorney general?
To serve as the state's top law enforcement officer.

How well does the N.C. Department of Justice work with other federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies?
We have an excellent working relationship with all law enforcement. Our SBI works with federal authorities to fight public corruption. Since I have been Attorney General we have investigated or prosecuted more than 400 cases of corruption by public officials, including sitting legislators, a Council of State member, a Congressman, sheriffs, police, prosecutors, local government officials and others. We have worked with local and federal authorities to set up an Internet Crimes Against Children task force where we have trained officers to pose as children online and catch predators before they have a chance to hurt our children. We're coordinating efforts with local, state and federal authorities to keep schools safe, fight illegal drugs and guard against terrorist attacks.

The governor and the attorney general's office this year disagreed on an interpretation of federal law as it pertains to illegal immigrants in enrolling in state colleges. Explain your views on this issue.
My office advised the North Carolina Community Colleges system that the best legally defensible position was to revert to its early policy in 2001 of prohibiting illegal aliens from admissions based on our review of the law. We sought guidance from the federal government at the system's request, and the US Department of Homeland Security told us it did not regard admissions as prohibited under federal law, and that states should decide their own policy. We shared that guidance with the community colleges board and the decision on whether to admit is in their hands.

How serious is the problem of gangs is in North Carolina? What should be done to address it?
It is serious, and we must combat it with a combination of enforcement and prevention This year I stood with mayors and law enforcement to push legislators to crack down on street gangs and violence, and to help law enforcement identity gang members and put the criminals away. The work resulted in a new law that takes a good first step toward combating gang activity in North Carolina.

Now criminal street gang activity is prohibited, and is subject to felony crimes. The new law enhances punishments for crimes committed as part of a gang activity, and allows law enforcement to seize property when derived from criminal gang activity. But we must do more.
Also, through my Department of Justice, North Carolina operates an electronic database called GangNet, which contains photos, gang signs, tattoos, names of known gang members and other information that is helping law enforcement crack gang cases. The information sharing brings results. In August 2006, gang investigation units in North Carolina used information obtained from GangNet to crack a major narcotics distribution ring operated by the Surenos, a Hispanic street gang.
GangNet has the ability to perform link-diagram analysis, showing relationships among gang members and their hierarchy. Using the database, gang investigators found a connection between a known gang member from the Raleigh-Durham region and another halfway across the state in Wilmington.

We are also pushing intervention and after-school programs as a way to solve the long-term gang problem. We are working with Boys & Girls Clubs and other organizations to keep kids from joining gangs in the first place.

How can we combine tough prosecution of criminals with the need to relieve overcrowding in state prisons?
We must focus on the most serious offenders, like child predators and violent criminals, with tough sentences that serve as a punishment and deterrent. We have to continue to imprison those criminals that threaten our communities, and the next governor must focus on improving our probation system so that offenders who are released don't commit crimes again. We also have to focus on preventing children from joining gangs and crossing over into crime.