LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas — Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. met with the Board of Directors Tuesday night, where he encouraged them to enact a state of emergency after 10 people were shot in a single weekend throughout the city.
After more than 4 hours of deliberation, the Board of Directors approved the state of emergency around 10:30 p.m.
With homicide listed as the third leading cause of death for Arkansans between 16-24 years of age, the resolution declares gun violence within the city as a public health crisis.
Following the approval from the city board, Mayor Scott posted the following statement online:
Grateful for my colleagues on the City Board for passing a resolution (9-1) to address the community violence as a public health crisis in Little Rock. This resolution emphasizes and reiterates our collective focus on addressing community violence holistically while allowing expedited processes to deploy resources more quickly.
Mayor Scott proposed solutions including: establishing an emergency response team, temporarily removing budget restrictions for LRPD overtime, investing more in community development and educational programs, hiring more social workers and employees in the city, and enforcing the loitering ordinance especially around businesses.
During the meeting, directors listened to Little Rock Police Department Chief Keith Humphrey and questioned him about the crime in the city. They then listened to the mayor explain why he felt this resolution would be beneficial to the people.
The directors were on board with enacting the state of emergency, but were concerned with the specifics listed in the resolution and how much it could cost the City of Little Rock.
Concerns aside, the Board of Directors decided to approve Mayor Scott's resolution, with the city now being placed under a state of emergency.