Greensboro paper calls Cooper "aggressive" in protecting North Carolinians

(Greensboro) News & Record
Oct. 2, 2004

AAttorney General Roy Cooper ranks as North Carolina's top lawyer and law-enforcement officer. He's handling those demanding responsibilities well and deserves re-election.

Cooper, a Democrat, heads the N.C. Department of Justice, which includes the State Bureau of Investigation. He has been aggressive in using his office to protect North Carolinians in a number of ways:

• DNA technology. Cooper is pushing for expansion of the state's DNA database and increasing the number of analysts to help link physical evidence to criminals or to exonerate those falsely accused.
  
  
• Internet crimes. These include fraud and identity theft but also threats from sexual predators who contact children online and try to arrange meetings. "These predators may think they're anonymous. They're not," Cooper says, explaining that the state is helping develop computer forensics teams to track them down.
  
  
• Drug labs. Cooper has ordered vigorous pursuit of people who manufacture methamphetamine in their homes -- operations that he describes as hazardous to occupants, especially children, and neighbors.
  
  
• Consumer protection. Cooper has worked to stop predatory lending and pushed for establishment of the state's no-call list.
  
  
• Drunken driving. As a legislator, Cooper helped craft the state's tough DWI law and thinks further efforts are needed to ensure more consistent enforcement across the state.
  
  
• Cooperation among law-enforcement agencies. Federal, state and local agencies are working together more effectively since 9/11, Cooper says. Initiatives designed to defend against terrorism are helping to fight ordinary crime.

Cooper's Republican challenger, Joe Knott, is a highly regarded trial attorney from Raleigh who holds degrees in business administration, law and divinity. He pledges to pursue many of the same initiatives Cooper already has under way. Unfortunately, Knott pulled out of the only scheduled debate with Cooper a day before it was to take place, an odd move for a lesser-known candidate. While Knott may be qualified for the job, he has not presented a case for replacing Cooper.