AG office pitches in $500,000 for police cameras, training
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Wednesday that her office will be the first to give funds to a newly created grant program set up for law enforcement agencies to purchase items such as body cameras and de-escalation training.
“This is a half-million dollars that I believe is important to give back to our public safety officers across the state,” Rutledge said during a news conference attended by police chiefs, sheriffs and top state police officials.
The Public Safety Equipment Grant Program was created April 21 through Act 786 as a way for law enforcement agencies to gain funds for equipment training or accreditation. The act was written from suggestions from The Task Force to Advance the State of Law Enforcement in Arkansas, which provided a report to Gov. Asa Hutchinson in December.
Law enforcement administrators said in the report that the lack of funds was the reason many smaller police forces across the state didn’t have cameras, storage space or training.
“When we look at Law Enforcement in Arkansas and the challenges that we face, sadly one of the biggest challenges, in addition to recruitment and reattaining, but one of our biggest challenges is funding and funding for our agencies to make sure that they have the proper equipment,” Rutledge said.
Arkansas Department of Public Safety Director Jami Cook said this is the first of its kind grant program in the state. She said often police forces have to attain funding for this type of equipment through federal sources.
Specifics about what type of equipment will meet the program’s requirements are being decided by a review committee, she said. The committee also will oversee any applications for grants sent to the program.
The grant program is capable of being funded by public and private revenue sources from the state or federal level, Cook said.
Arkansas State Police Director William Bryant said many departments throughout the state don’t have body or dash cameras.
“I think it is a great program for the smaller departments throughout the state,” Bryant said. “It also could be a benefit for the state police.”
Rutledge encouraged representatives from the many law enforcement agencies in attendance to start applying for the funds, which she said can’t be used for salaries or creating new positions.