The U.S. Senate has advanced legislation out of the Senate Appropriations Committee that includes funding for the City of Jonesboro. The $3.5 million will be for public safety infrastructure associated with the Jonesboro Real Time Crime and
Intelligence Center, Mayor Harold Copenhaver announced Thursday. The effort is championed by U.S. Senator John Boozman who advocated for the federal investment in the Senate Fiscal Year 2025 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This funding would come on the heels of a $500,000 federal appropriation for the crime center received earlier this year. Committee passage represents the first step in the process. Funding will be made available when the legislation passes both chambers of Congress and is signed into law by the President.

Copenhaver said the funding would provide additional resources to prevent and fight crime in the city and keep Jonesboro on the leading edge of incorporating technology into its policing efforts.  “When we talk about improving Jonesboro, public safety is a top priority,” he said. “This is reinforcement that we are on the right track, and I thank Senator Boozman for his efforts and for the hours he and his staff have dedicated to meeting with our Jonesboro team to discuss the wins and benefits of the system. He believes in it, and it shows.”

Jonesboro’s innovative Real-Time Crime and Intelligence Center now boasts more than 700 cameras strategically positioned around the area and has been referenced more than 600 times in cases this year alone. Data collected and retained also provides a valuable resource in building evidence to close cases, helping resolve accident disputes and identifying needed traffic and safety improvements, according to Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott, “Our system provides officers and detectives with critical information that saves lives, immediately alerts us when a vehicle of interest enters the region and provides helpful information on the scene of an active incident or operation. The technology investment in policing is making a difference, and it shows.”

Craighead County Sheriff Marty Boyd talked about the importance of information sharing between agencies, “We work closely with the City of Jonesboro and share 911 facilities. Quickly transferring data, license plate alerts and video information is a huge benefit toward the safety of our area.”

“The regional buy-in has created a larger footprint of information sharing that has proven beneficial in catching wrong-doers who previously would have been long gone by the time we exhausted conventional investigation tactics, making us all safer,” Chief Elliott

added.

The latest proposed appropriation would add to the more than $18,000,000 in additional federal funding awarded to the City of Jonesboro in just the last 2 years. “Having a strong relationship with our congressional delegation is important. They continue to deliver critical funding for job development, crime reduction and prevention, and quality of life improvements for our community. I
never pass up a chance to thank Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton and Representative Rick Crawford for their efforts and friendship. I look forward to a few more great announcements soon,” Copenhaver added.