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7 <br /> 1 like to know the ages of these children, as well as their school status. She also said the <br /> 2 resources here may not be getting to the people who need them most. She said this is a good <br /> 3 wakeup call that there is work to do. <br /> 4 Commissioner Hamilton said she agrees and that it's a county function to bring the <br /> 5 pieces together to do the analysis. <br /> 6 Chair Bedford said the state may have more data to share as well. <br /> 7 Commissioner Richards said they do and the Board could review it or have it brought to <br /> 8 a meeting. She said part of why the data is so shocking is that the disparities are still there <br /> 9 despite diversion programs. <br /> 10 Senator Meyer said there is also a statistical truth that the lower the end, the easier it is <br /> 11 to have disparities. <br /> 12 Chair Bedford said she thinks it was inadvertent when the General Assembly <br /> 13 decompressed salaries in the justice system, and did not include juvenile justice staff. She <br /> 14 asked if there are any bills to address that. <br /> 15 Senator Meyer said it will be in the budget. <br /> 16 Commissioner Richards said there's a national effort to help people keep Medicaid when <br /> 17 released from incarceration. She said this should also be worked on in North Carolina. <br /> 18 Representative Price said the county picks up the cost when individuals lose their <br /> 19 Medicaid benefits. She said this is something NACo and NCACC are working on. <br /> 20 Senator Meyer said the Downtown Partnership asked for joint meetings between the <br /> 21 Criminal Justice Resource Department (CJRD) and UNC Hospitals to try to address patients <br /> 22 discharged from the hospital interfering with the downtown Chapel Hill geographic area.He said <br /> 23 this is complicated because there's physical, mental, and behavioral health mixing with property <br /> 24 issues and police. He said it's been a fruitful partnership so far. <br /> 25 Chair Bedford said Mayor Hemminger said one solution is to provide a bus ticket. <br /> 26 Commissioner Richards said (CJRD) just got a grant for a social worker to work within <br /> 27 each of the law enforcement agencies in the county. <br /> 28 Chair Bedford added that this also includes 1.5 clinical positions at Freedom House. She <br /> 29 said Durham has a pilot program for mental health professionals to respond to calls usually <br /> 30 without police, but it was $8 million. <br /> 31 Senator Meyer said there is another push in legislature to authorize non-law <br /> 32 enforcement traffic investigators. <br /> 33 Chair Bedford reviewed the remaining components of the third item on the Board's list of <br /> 34 priority legislative issues. <br /> 35 <br /> 36 Chair Bedford reviewed the fourth item on the Board's list of priority legislative issues: <br /> 37 <br /> 38 Concealed Weapons in Parks and Red Flag Law — Support legislation authorizing <br /> 39 counties to regulate the carrying of concealed weapons on county-owned playgrounds <br /> 40 and in county-owned parklands, and allowing courts to prevent access to firearms for <br /> 41 individuals who show signs of being a danger to themselves or to others. Mental illness, <br /> 42 escalating threats, substance abuse and domestic violence are among the <br /> 43 circumstances in which a judge should have the authority to order weapon restrictions or <br /> 44 surrender; <br /> 45 <br /> 46 Senator Meyer said each chamber has passed a bill but not the same one. <br /> 47 Commissioner Greene asked what happens if the bills are vetoed. <br /> 48 Representative Buansi said there's hope that won't happen. <br /> 49 <br /> 50 Chair Bedford reviewed the remaining items on the Board's list of priority legislative <br /> 51 issues: <br />