Washington, DC, August 12, 2025 - On behalf of the nation’s over 3,300 local health departments, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) stands strong in its support for the people of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the wake of violence that took the life of a police officer at its main campus in Atlanta, Georgia. 

We are grateful for the swift action and response from law enforcement and the people of CDC who quickly worked to secure the premises and protect lives. While many CDC buildings were damaged during the attack, many more public health professionals’ lives were directly threatened and we know it could have been much worse. The trauma experienced is real, and we must support our colleagues as they work through what they endured last Friday. 

Initial reports highlight that this is yet another manifestation of violence, fueled by false rhetoric, as public health experts are vilified and politicized. Far too many public health professionals at the local, state, and federal levels have been threatened with or experienced violence just for trying to fulfil their mission to keep Americans healthy. Hateful and damaging rhetoric against public health can have very real consequences. We must put an end to this immediately.

As a nation, it is essential for us to do more to support and protect the governmental public health workforce, as they do the work that protects the health of all of us. NACCHO stands firm in our resolve to work with our partners to protect and uplift the important work of governmental public health practitioners.

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About NACCHO

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information about NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.