LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced the distribution of $500,000 to Arkansas's Law Enforcement Public Safety Equipment Grant Program.
The grant program was established through Act 786 and aims to strengthen the bridge between law enforcement and the Arkansas communities they serve.
The money in the program is used to buy nonlethal public safety equipment such as body cameras, bulletproof vests, de-escalation training, and agency accreditation programs for law enforcement agencies, detention centers, and corrections agencies
“As Arkansas’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer, my administration has provided more than $17 million to support our men and women in blue who hold the line to protect all Arkansans from harm,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Defunding the police has never been the answer; defending and investing in our dedicated law enforcement is how we make Arkansas stronger. This is the State doubling down on our law enforcement and it is imperative that agencies immediately apply for these funding opportunities.”
Act 786, passed by the 93rd Arkansas General Assembly, is one of the first pieces of state legislation to establish the public safety equipment grant program.