LITTLE ROCK – As part of a larger violent crime reduction plan announced in October, the City of Little Rock has begun accepting a wide variety of proposals to tackle community violence. A full list of those opportunities can be found here. Proposals must be received by 3 p.m. Dec. 27.

“There are already organizations, whether public or private, that have experience combatting the social ills that factor into higher crime rates and are capable of devising innovative, creative solutions that will serve our serve communities. We want to know who they are and offer them funding,” said Mayor Frank Scott, Jr.

“We firmly believe that arts and education can be tools to help stem violence, along with programs that teach conflict resolution and community engagement,” added Michael Sanders, with the Office of Neighborhood Safety in the Department of Community Programs. “We welcome innovative proposals and look forward to engaging with vendors who have a variety of new ideas.”

The Little Rock Board of Directors set aside $1.5 million from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund violence intervention. That money will be used to fund projects and programs prosed to the City under two broad categories: neighborhood safety projects and community violence reduction programs.

Neighborhood safety projects are defined as citywide projects with an anticipated budget of $5,000-$45,000 and can combat crime through:

• Arts and/or Cultural Enrichment
• Tutoring, STEM Activities, and/or Academic Enrichment
• Parental, Family, and Community Engagement
• Social and Emotional Learning
• Housing and/or Food Insecurity
• Recreational, Health, and Wellness
• Life Skills and/or Workforce Readiness

Community violence reduction programs are those targeted specifically to the south and southwest, or other identified high crime areas, with budgets larger than $45,000 that will address:

• Conflict Resolution/Anger Management
• Domestic Violence Intervention/Prevention
• Hospital-based Intervention
• Criminal Activity/Gang/Violence Prevention
• Mental Health and Wellness

“Obviously, we are grateful for the tireless efforts of the Little Rock Police Department and its officers, who have steadily reduced the increased crime rate throughout the year to less than half what it was in the early months. But addressing the roots of crime requires more than policework. It takes community involvement,” said Scott.

To apply, third-party organizations must be registered as suppliers with the City of Little Rock and must respond via the City’s electronic bidding platform. If successful, they will be awarded a contract for service, which stipulates that all services must be offered without charge to qualified residents of the City.

“Little Rock is not alone in seeing higher crime rates in 2021 than in 2020. This is a nationwide public health issue, with an approach recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” said Little Rock Police Chief Keith Humphrey. “From what we’ve seen, in our city, instances of violence are largely attributable to domestic situations, where individuals who know each other, family members or close friends, have a conflict that unfortunately escalates to the point of violence. We need to help them find alternatives.”

These opportunities for neighborhood safety projects and community violence reduction programs are joined by additional requests for proposals being released by the City and intended to curb community violence, though not funded by ARPA money. They include requests for proposals to establish:

• A day labor program to provide paid work
• Community-based intervention programs targeting individuals aged 13-30

For additional information, please contact the Department of Community programs at 501-399-3420 or email ProgramReferral@littlerock.gov.

###