LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Experts say that crimes committed, adult arrests and
the number of sworn law enforcement officers in Arkansas’ most populous county
are above the national average.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Pulaski County is paying two firms
to analyze the county’s adult justice system. The JFA Institute and the Justice
Management Institute are examining the county’s law enforcement, the more than
1,200-bed jail and the courts.
The firms reported data last week to the county’s criminal justice
coordinating committee. JFA Institute President James Austin says the county has
a “crimes against person” rate more than twice the national average, at nearly
950 for every 100,000 residents.
But experts say county officials seem willing to collaborate, which could help
correct what they call a “reactive” approach to a large jail population.
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