RALEIGH  -- Governor Pat McCrory signed a proclamation declaring January Stalking Awareness Month in North Carolina. He is the first governor in the United States to sign this proclamation and join a national effort to raise awareness of the dangers of stalking. “Protecting the safety and security of all of our citizens is a top priority of our administration,” Governor McCrory said in a press release.  “While we have made great progress to address stalking, we need to continue working together in our communities and on the state level to raise awareness and combat this serious issue.”

The governor signed the proclamation during a ceremony at the Executive Mansion joined by representatives of the North Carolina Council for Women, public safety officials and other stalking awareness advocates.

The proclamation adds to the steps Governor McCrory has taken to stop stalking, including expanding the cyberstalking statute to include using a GPS device to track or determine the position and movement of another person. The governor also secured $1.6 million in the latest budget for HERO grants to promote hiring veterans to utilize technology and data analysis to locate and rescue children at risk of exploitation, an issue closely connected to stalking.