ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansans will now be able to call Arkansas State Police (ASP) through a non-emergency phone line.
During his weekly COVID-19 briefing, Governor Asa Hutchinson unveiled the *277 number. Through a partnership with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), ASP and several phone carriers, stranded or lost drivers can use the non-emergency line for help. The number can also be used to report suspicious activity or safety concerns while on the road.
The governor says 200 signs will be put up across the state, costing taxpayers around $55,000. Officials with ARDOT say it will take a month to six weeks to install the signs.
The signs will be posted at state and county lines, along major freeway interchanges and in every 30-mile increment across the state. The installation will begin in the Little Rock metro area and crews will work their way out.
The governor says this new non-emergency line will help citizens report things that happen on the roadways to ASP. He says this is not a substitute for calling 911 in the case of emergencies.
"We have a problem nationwide with the challenge of crime," Gov. Hutchinson said. "One of the ways that we address that is through citizens activity and alerting law enforcement whenever they see a problem or something that should be reported."
Arkansas Representative Stephen Meeks sponsored the legislation that created the partnership to establish the new phone line. AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have partnered with ARDOT to help make the new phone line.
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