MEDIA ADVISORY: NCDPS News Conference in Greenville Highlights NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action 

What: NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action News Conference in Greenville

Where: Pitt County Agricultural Center
Conference Room
403 Government Cir.
Greenville, NC 27834
(Public parking is available in the Agricultural Center lot)

When: Monday, June 1, 2026, at 10 a.m.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety is holding its fourth annual NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively) Week of Action, June 1–7, with events and community outreach taking place across the state. As part of the Week of Action, NCDPS will host a news conference alongside partner organizations including ECU Health in Greenville on Monday, June 1.

The news conference will bring together state and local leaders, health care professionals, public safety officials and community partners to discuss the importance of safe firearm storage and the role every household can play in keeping children, families and communities safe.

Speakers will include:

• William Lassiter, Deputy Secretary of the NCDPS Division of Juvenile Justice
• Faris C. Dixon, Pitt County District Attorney
• Ray Waters, Major Pitt County Sheriff’s Office
• David Trisler, MD, Assistant Medical Director for the Adult Trauma Program at ECU Health
• Kolenya “KZ” Thomas, Deputy Chief Greenville Police Department
• Whitney Brown-Tune, Mother and Advocate from Goldsboro

The issue of safe firearm storage is critical for communities across North Carolina, including Pitt County. Over the past 10 years, 69% of homicides and 63% of suicides in Pitt County involved a firearm.¹ NC S.A.F.E. encourages North Carolinians to lock their firearms and keep them out of the reach of children and unauthorized users to help prevent tragedies.

The news conference will include a resource table with gun locks, safe storage materials, and NC S.A.F.E. displays. Photo and video opportunities will include speaker remarks, interviews with NC S.A.F.E. representatives and community partners, and visuals of NC S.A.F.E. gun locks and resources to be distributed across the state.

Members of the media should RSVP to ncsafe@ncdps.gov to request an interview with NC S.A.F.E. representatives and confirm attendance at this event. 

North Carolinians can find more information about effectively and safely securing their guns at ncsafe.org. Additional media materials are available at ncsafe.org/about.

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About NC S.A.F.E.: There is an urgent need for North Carolinians to safely secure their firearms. This simple act can dramatically reduce gun theft, suicide attempts, and youth violence, and can increase the safety of North Carolina families and their communities. NC S.A.F.E. (Secure All Firearms Effectively) is a statewide initiative designed to raise awareness of the importance of safe firearm storage. Established in 2023, the program provides resources on best practices for firearm storage and safety. NC S.A.F.E. is not associated with any advocacy-based initiatives related to gun laws or regulations.

¹ North Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Violence Prevention. “Pitt County Violence Profile.” VDRS 2013–2022. Updated April 3, 2025.