DOJ Presents Hometown Hero Award in Eastern North Carolina

RALEIGH, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Justice presented its Hometown Hero Award on June 1 2026 in the Eastern District of North Carolina.

The award goes to individuals whose efforts support law enforcement, strengthen community resilience or advance public safety initiatives. Recipients typically include first responders, volunteers and civic leaders whose work affects thousands of residents across the 44 counties that make up the district.

The Eastern District of North Carolina encompasses more than 1.5 million households and includes both rural communities and military installations.

The presentation marks the formal recognition of service that previously operated without this specific federal honor. Award recipients gain official DOJ acknowledgment that can support future grant applications and local program funding. The change takes effect immediately upon presentation.

Downstream the award creates a documented record that participating jurisdictions can cite when applying for federal Byrne JAG or COPS grants. It also triggers internal DOJ tracking of honorees for potential inclusion in national public safety initiatives.

State and local agencies must now decide whether to incorporate the award into their own recognition programs or nomination pipelines for subsequent federal honors.

This presentation follows the department’s established practice of issuing Hometown Hero Awards to recognize unsung contributors to the criminal justice system. The Eastern District has previously hosted similar ceremonies that spotlighted community policing partners and emergency management volunteers. The DOJ press release confirms the June 1 event as the latest in the ongoing award series.