Project Safe Neighborhoods - Western District of Arkansas

The USAO Western District of Arkansas is requesting funds to execute the implementation of the approved Strategic Action Plan. The Strategic Action Plan addresses violent crime, including, but not limited to, criminal gangs and felonious possession and use of firearms.  The plans are to continue to coordinate and collaborate as well as establish effective partnerships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and implement strategies to reduce violent crime in the District.  For effective prosecution, emphasis will be on training of law enforcement personnel.  An additional focus will be to support gang task forces. The proposed project period for the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) action plan development and implementation phase are October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024 (36-months).

The jurisdiction’s crime rate and crime drivers are reflective of the increased indictments for drug trafficking and firearm offenses. The increase can be tied to the economic development growth and the increased population in the jurisdiction. Project Safe Neighborhood program (PSN) will allow priority to be given to criminals and/or criminal cases with violent, gangs and drug trafficking criminal histories and emphasis on areas in the District that are experiencing significant presence of high levels of violent crime, firearm offenses, human and drug trafficking.

The summary of PSN grant strategies are to continue to build capacity through specific trainings and the implementation of identified evidence-based interventions, the USAO Western District of Arkansas can be effective in reducing violent/gun crime.

The geographic focus of the PSN intervention(s) will be primarily for the divisions in the district that are heavily populated and reflect an increase in federal prosecutions of firearms and violent crime. The Western District of Arkansas covers 300 miles from northwest corner to the southwest corner of the state, mostly rural. There are 34 counties included in the Western District.

The USAO PSN has not determined or named a research partner for this project.

Key partners in the USAO’s PSN initiative are identified as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Arkansas State Police (ASP); Homeland Security (DHS); 4th Judicial District; 18th E Judicial District; 13th Judicial District; City of Fayetteville; City of Rogers; City of Springdale; City of Hot Springs; Drug Task Forces; PSN Task Force members; identified PSN Selection Committee; and Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (Fiscal Agent).