law enforcement

Arkansas AG joins multi-state retail crimefighting alliance

BY: - July 19, 2023

The Arkansas Attorney General’s office will work with a multi-state group of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations division to fight organized retail crime, Attorney General Tim Griffin said Wednesday. “Organized retail crime is costing businesses billions of dollars in losses every year, and that affects all Arkansas businesses whether they […]

Filling Medical Form, document, stethoscope

Nearly 50 congressional Democrats urge tighter regulations protecting medical records

BY: - July 18, 2023

Nearly 50 Democratic and independent members of Congress are appealing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to tighten regulations protecting the privacy of health information. In a letter Tuesday to Secretary Xavier Beccera, they asked that the department enact more precautions to ensure that law officers obtain a warrant before seeking the […]

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, second from right, speaks to Drake University College Republicans March 28, 2023 at the Drake Diner near campus. (Photo by Luke Clausen)

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson calls for armed personnel in every school

BY: - March 28, 2023

In the aftermath of a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, former Arkansas governor and potential presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson called Tuesday for armed officers in every school. Hutchinson, a Republican, made his comments during an event with Drake University students in Des Moines. “My belief is that every school should have armed personnel,” Hutchinson said. […]

Motley marijuana laws drive consumers — and revenue — across state lines

BY: - January 16, 2023

SOUTH BELOIT, Ill. — Less than half a mile south of the Wisconsin border in Illinois, the Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary bustles with activity. Cars with license plates from Wisconsin, Minnesota and other pot-banning states slide in and out of the shop’s expansive parking lot. The bright and airy retail store is an easy hop off […]

COMMENTARY

317,793 arrests for marijuana possession in 2020 despite the growing legalization movement

BY: - November 21, 2022

More than 300,000 people were arrested for cannabis possession in 2020, FBI records show. Meanwhile, the drug is being legally sold for a profit in 19 states. That arrest number may sound high, but arrests have actually been going down each year since 2010 as more states legalize medical or recreational use of the drug. […]

Tribal law enforcement boosted under bill proposed by members of Congress from the West

BY: - September 23, 2022

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers re-introduced legislation Thursday to provide more resources for tribal law enforcement, an issue they say has become more urgent as Congress begins to consider how to respond to a July Supreme Court case that complicated state-tribal criminal jurisdiction. The bill, introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego […]

Chairs arrayed with kuspuks

Justice Department funds to aid tribal law enforcement and help Indigenous victims of crime

BY: - September 22, 2022

The U.S. Department of Justice announced it will provide more than $246 million in grants to Native American and Alaska Native communities for improvements in law enforcement and justice. The well-received announcement was made in Anchorage on Wednesday at the start of the federal government’s annual tribal consultation conference on violence against women. Allison Randall, […]

School safety panel recommends funding to help implement proposals

BY: - September 21, 2022

The Arkansas School Safety Commission approved two recommendations Wednesday aimed at providing funding to support best practices included in the group’s final report, which is due by Oct. 1. “I don’t think that we can walk away from this table without trying to get our schools some additional financial help because we’re asking them to […]

A woman and a man seated at a table with TV microphones in front of them.

Crawford County residents say deputy in beating video attacked them

BY: - August 23, 2022

Two Crawford County residents on Tuesday shared details of beatings they say they received at the hands of a sheriff’s deputy who can be seen in a video taken Sunday morning of officers subduing a man at a Mulberry convenience store. During a live televised press conference, Teddy Wallace and Tammy Nelson of Rudy identified […]

School safety panel proposes hardening schools, improving mental health response

BY: - August 17, 2022

The Arkansas School Safety Commission adopted a dozen recommendations Tuesday aimed at hardening schools against intrusion and making sure staff and teachers are trained to respond not only to physical threats but also to students in mental distress. Commissioners voted to recommend that school campuses “should always have armed personnel when staff and students are […]