WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) released the following statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) notified Arkansas law enforcement agencies that it would resume equitable sharing payments for participating state and local law enforcement agencies that help in investigations resulting in federal forfeitures. 

“Equitable sharing funds are essential for drug and violent crime task forces and other law enforcement operations that focus on removing the worst criminal offenders from our streets. Arkansas’s law enforcement agencies rely on these payments to protect our state. Ceasing these payments to agencies that have an agreement with the Department of Justice was a result of very poor planning. After urging DOJ to rectify this problem, I am pleased the equitable sharing payments have resumed. It is paramount that DOJ honor its obligations with our law enforcement agencies,” Boozman said. 

During Senate Appropriations Committee hearings this year, Boozman questioned Attorney General Loretta Lynch on why Arkansas police departments had funds they used to fight violent crime removed from their equitable sharing accounts deferred. She admitted some budget issues within the department’s asset forfeiture fund that limited its ability to provide these payments to state and local law enforcement.