Little Rock, Arkansas – The city of Little Rock is witnessing a remarkable decline in both overall crime and violent crime at the mid-year point of 2025. In a statement released today, Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. proudly highlighted that crime has dropped by 19 percent compared to a five-year average, while violent crime has decreased by 12 percent during the same period. This reduction, according to Mayor Scott, is the direct result of the city’s strategic and comprehensive crime reduction efforts that have been in place for the past three years.
The announcement comes as part of the city’s ongoing push to ensure the safety and well-being of its residents. The positive crime statistics have been bolstered by the city’s continued commitment to a multifaceted, data-driven approach to crime prevention and community support.
“The consistent decline in crime over the past three years is a direct outcome of our holistic violence prevention strategy,” said Mayor Scott. “We’ve stayed committed to making Little Rock safer and stronger through collaborative work with our police department, community organizations, and stakeholders.”
This strategy was set in motion in 2022 when Little Rock’s Board of Directors and Mayor Scott declared a public health emergency due to escalating violent crime in the city. With the need to address the rise in violence head-on, the city pivoted to a more focused, multi-pronged approach to crime reduction.
Among the key components of this strategy, the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) has employed targeted police patrols based on data, focusing on high-crime neighborhoods that had been flagged for increased attention. The city also made critical investments in technology, such as supporting the LRPD’s Real Time Crime Center, which helps the department remain more effective and efficient in its policing.
Another key element of this approach is the collaboration between the Real Time Crime Center and local business owners, as well as the “Eyes on The Rock” initiative, which fosters partnerships with residents to improve community vigilance. The increased involvement of the public and businesses in crime prevention has proven valuable in building a cooperative approach to addressing crime.
In addition to these efforts, the city’s investment in LRPD Crisis Response Teams, which include social workers, has helped to de-escalate situations involving individuals experiencing mental health crises. This initiative reflects a broader understanding of the need to address root causes of crime, not just respond to it when it occurs.
The city’s investment in its police force has also played a key role. Salary increases and signing bonuses were introduced to enhance officer retention and recruitment, ensuring that the police department has the resources and personnel necessary to continue its work.
But Little Rock’s crime reduction strategy does not solely rely on policing. The city has been proactive in addressing the social aspects of crime by allocating additional funds to community organizations that focus on prevention, intervention, and treatment. The city has also supported youth and young adult programs aimed at providing alternatives to crime, including the Midnight Basketball program, re-entry services, and Career Climb, a workforce development initiative.
“Our community programs have had a tangible impact,” said Mayor Scott. “These initiatives offer our young people the tools and resources they need to stay on a positive path, which is integral to the long-term success of our crime prevention efforts.”
In addition to the drop in crime compared to the five-year average, the statistics for 2025 also show improvement over the previous year. Violent crime is down by 5 percent, and overall crime has decreased by 16 percent when compared to the same period in 2024. While these numbers reflect significant progress, Mayor Scott emphasized that the work is far from finished.
“We cannot stand on statistics alone because we know there’s more work to do as we change the perception of crime in our city,” Mayor Scott remarked. “We will continue focusing on ways we can improve the progress we have already made so that Little Rock remains a safe place to live, work, and play.”
As Little Rock moves forward, the city remains committed to improving the safety and quality of life for all its residents. The successes of the first half of 2025 show that the city’s crime reduction strategy is yielding results, but city leaders are well aware that continuous effort, innovation, and community collaboration are necessary to maintain and build upon these gains.
With a clear focus on public safety and community empowerment, Little Rock looks poised to continue its path toward becoming a safer, more vibrant city for everyone.
