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RALEIGH – Governor-elect Josh Stein has announced members of his cabinet, to include a Northampton County native.

Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr. has been re-appointed as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Buffaloe, a native of Potecasi, has served as the department’s secretary since 2021, appointed to that position by Governor Roy Cooper. He previously served as a law enforcement officer for 30 years, most recently in a dual role as Elizabeth City’s interim city manager and director of the Elizabeth City Department of Public Safety.

Buffaloe has also worked in a sheriff’s office, as a correctional officer, and as a law enforcement instructor. He was a member of the North Carolina National Guard for 10 years. He also served as President of the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police.

Buffaloe has earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Olive and a master’s degree from Grand Canyon University.

“Western North Carolina is at a critical moment,” said Governor-elect Josh Stein. “We need Eddie’s steady leadership as we work to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. I am grateful for Secretary Buffaloe’s commitment to seeing the job done.”

“I am deeply honored to be reappointed as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety,” Buffaloe said in a statement to the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald. “I look forward to continuing to work with current North Carolina leaders and our state’s recently elected leaders to protect and serve our residents. I also remain committed to the continued work with the agencies in NCDPS to carry out our mission to safeguard our state’s residents through preparation, prevention and protection with integrity and honor.”

The secretary of the Department of Public Safety serves as the sole representative on the governor’s cabinet for the state’s law enforcement, juvenile justice, and emergency management responsibilities. The DPS secretary oversees the state’s homeland security coordination.

The department has more than 6,000 sworn law enforcement and civilian employees, along with more than 10,000 North Carolina National Guard soldiers and airmen.

Buffaloe is a “natural” when it comes to law enforcement. His father – Eddie “Jack” Buffaloe Sr. – spent 51 years in law enforcement: 43 as a Northampton County Sheriff’s Deputy and Courtroom Bailiff, and eight years as Chief of the Rich Square Police Department.

Eddie Buffaloe Jr. began his law enforcement career in November 1991 as a correctional officer at Odom Correctional Institute in Jackson. His career continued as a Drug Enforcement Agent in Northampton County, Drug Enforcement Supervisor in Halifax County, and Lead Investigator for the East Force Drug Task Force through the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Raleigh.