Funds Focus on Crime Guns, Victims’ Services, Domestic Violence

The City of Little Rock announced on Monday the receipt of three public safety grants totaling more than $1.27 million to aid the Little Rock Police Department’s gun crimes, victims’ advocacy and domestic violence units.

LRPD was selected to receive:

• The Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative grant for $750,000 from the United States Department of Justice.
• The Victims of Crime Assistance (VOCA) grant for $427,051 from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which is funded by the Department of Justice.
• The STOP Violence Against Women (VAWA) grant for $93,692 from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, which is funded by the Department of Justice.

The latest award continues the work that was begun in 2017 with the Technology Innovation for Public Safety (TIPS) grant, that created LRPD’s Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) and implemented the highly successful ShotSpotter gunshot detection system in two square miles of the City’s highest crime areas. In addition to continuing the evidenced-based work that began with the TIPS grant, a large portion of the new grant funding will be dedicated to purchasing an in-house National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) system.

Having a NIBIN system in-house will enable its officers 24/7 access to the state-of-the-art Federal ATF system and ensure that crimes scene shell casings can readily be entered into the system to match shell casings obtained from other crime scenes and crime guns, said Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey.

“This will expedite investigations, arrests, and prosecutions of gun crime suspects,” Humphrey said. “Also, surrounding jurisdictions will have 24/7 access to the equipment and support from LRPD detectives.”

The VOCA grant will help the police department hire victims’ advocacy staff such as a volunteer coordinator and victims’ services specialists for Spanish speaking, LGBTQ and/or elderly residents. Additionally, the grant would allow LRPD to provide relocation assistance, childcare aid and basic needs.

The VAWA grant would allow LRPD to add a domestic violence detective and help with training costs including travel.

Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. said he is proud of the work that LRPD and its many partners have done to lower the crime rate in Little Rock.

“We want to make sure we address crime proactively and that we use every tool at our disposal to do so,” Scott said. “These new grants These new grants allow LRPD to take further steps towards making Little Rock the safest city in the south.”

Scott also said he was grateful for the support of partners that made qualifying for the grant possible. Grant partners include: the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the United States Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, North Little Rock Police Department.