To address the continuing threat of terrorism and to work with the federal Department of Homeland Security (created in 2002 following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001), homeland security in North Carolina in 2003 operated under the authority of the governor; the crime control/public safety secretary was designated as the state homeland security advisor.
The Department of Public Instruction administers state aid to local public school systems, a board of governors directs the 16 state-supported institutions of higher education, and the Department of Community Colleges administers the 58 community colleges. The Department of Cultural Resources offers a variety of educational and enrichment services to the public, maintaining historical sites, operating two major state museums, funding the North Carolina Symphony, and providing for the State Library. The Department of Transportation plans, builds, and maintains state highways; registers motor vehicles; develops airport facilities; administers public transportation activities; and operates 15 ferries.
Within the Department of Health and Human Resources, the Division of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services operates 4 regional psychiatric hospitals, 5 regional mental retardation centers, and 3 alcoholic rehabilitation centers; it also coordinates 41 area mental health programs that include community mental health centers, group homes for the mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed, shelter workshops, halfway houses, a special-care facility, and 2 reeducation programs for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. The Division of Social Services administers public assistance programs, and other divisions license medical facilities, promote public health, administer programs for juvenile delinquents and the vocationally handicapped, and operate a school for the blind and visually impaired and three schools for the deaf. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services protects the consumer.
The Department of Crime Control and Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol and the National Guard, while the Department of Correction manages the prison system. Local law enforcement agencies receive assistance from the Department of Justice's State Bureau of Investigation and the Police Information Network. The Community Assistance Division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources offers a variety of planning services to local government in the areas of housing, neighborhood renewal, and fiscal resources. The Department of Labor administers the state Occupational Safety and Health Act; inspects boilers, elevators, amusement rides, mines, and quarries; offers conciliation, mediation, and arbitration services to settle labor disputes; and enforces state laws governing child labor, minimum wages, maximum working hours, and uniform wage payment.