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The N.C. Department of Public Safety has tapped Gerard Tate to lead the state’s Office of Violence Prevention. Tate will serve as the first director of an office established by Governor Roy Cooper in March to help the state reduce violence and firearm misuse.
"The Office of Violence Prevention will implement critical efforts to reduce violence and increase public safety," said Governor Cooper. "I'm grateful for Gerard Tate's willingness to serve in this important role and work with leaders across the state."
Tate’s first day with the state will be July 5. He will play a central role in the development of a public health approach to reduction of violence in North Carolina. His office will collaborate with state and local agencies to facilitate information sharing, document best practice and build resources that enable the implementation of violence prevention initiatives.
“It takes all of us working together to address violence in our communities,” DPS Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr. said. “Tate has a track record of supporting that kind of collaboration. He will bring a wide range of experience and expertise into conversations taking place at every level of government.”
Tate is an Iraq War veteran who worked in law enforcement with the U.S. Army for a decade before earning a doctorate in social work from the University of Southern California. He most recently served as director of community impact and engagement for technology firm SoundThinking, where he was responsible for advising law enforcement and community violence intervention leaders who were using gunshot locator technology ShotSpotter to advance data-informed violence prevention and community policing strategies.
Tate previously held roles in city-wide violence prevention and community policing programs in California, Georgia, Missouri and Washington, D.C. After leaving the military, he completed a U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security transition assignment in criminal intelligence IT systems with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
“I am excited to join a team of passionate experts ready to support this office and share in our mission to improve the safety and well-being of residents of North Carolina,” Tate said. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with partners throughout the state.”
About the Office of Violence Prevention
The Office of Violence Prevention will sit within the Department of Public Safety and will work closely with state agencies, including the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, to ensure a whole of government and public health approach to reducing violence. The office will offer training and technical assistance, issue best practice guidance and model processes, facilitate information sharing across state and local leaders working to reduce violence, conduct public awareness campaigns, share data, collaborate with research institutions, and identify and apply for funding from federal and philanthropic sources.