The Dept. of Crime Control and Public Safety has ten divisions whose overall missions are to improve the quality of life for North Carolinians by reducing crime and enhancing public safety.

The CCPS secretary serves as the sole representative on the Governor's Cabinet for the state's law enforcement and emergency response community.

The department focuses citizen and legislative attention on law enforcement and public safety issues, such as drinking and driving, underage access to alcohol and tobacco, the proper use of child safety seats, crime prevention, and preparation for natural disasters.

CCPS is constantly updating plans and doing training for local officials to respond to other emergencies such as terrorism, communicable diseases, nuclear power plant incidents and civil unrest.

North Carolina's response to natural disasters and emergencies is a model for other states because of the unification of these various divisions under one agency. CCPS provides a clear and unified chain of command to quickly mobilize resources during an emergency.

CCPS also serves as the coordinating agency for North Carolina's homeland security preparedness, and is strengthening the state's terrorism defenses and response capabilities.