The Criminal Justice Institute is furnishing the following information describing free Internet and e-mail services provided by the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement and requesting that the FPCA disseminate it to the rural Police Departments (jurisdictions of 25,000 or less) in our state. Federal funding initiatives have often omitted the needs and priorities of rural law enforcement agencies and they believe the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement can provide much needed assistance to rural law enforcement agencies across the nation.
The National Center for Rural Law Enforcement is an educational entity devoted to management education, research, forensics, computer and technical assistance for rural law enforcement agencies, tribal police and railroad police throughout the nation. The Center works in close coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Justice Assistance and other Federal agencies. The functions of the NCRLE include: providing management education and training; a resource center for information pertinent to rural law enforcement; research and technical assistance; access to a non-operational communications network; education and training curricula; forensic science education and training; computer related education and training; and promoting the viewpoint of rural law enforcement.
Frequently, rural law enforcement is slighted or forgotten completely due to the perception that everything is fine "down on the farm." Yet nationally, rural violent crime increased 47% in the last thirteen years. Many do not appreciate the impact rural jurisdictions have on a state. It is these small, rural community based agencies the NCRLE will support with the same quality of education and training that large metropolitan departments receive.
On May 1, 1997, Representative Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas introduced in Congress H. R. 1524, the "Rural Law Enforcement Assistance Act of 1997". This legislation would establish the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement as a nonprofit corporation. The House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, held hearings on the legislation in March, 1998, but the bill was not voted out of the Subcommittee and no further action was taken before adjournment. The legislation had 69 Congressional cosponsors (33 Democrats, 35 Republicans and 1 Independent) representing 35 States. Additionally, 62 Law Enforcement Associations representing 39 states have adopted resolutions in support of the NCRLE, to include the National Sheriffs' Association, the National Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training. It is anticipated the legislation will be introduced again early in the 106th Congress.
Even though the legislation has not yet been enacted, the NCRLE now provides rural agencies across the country with model policy and procedures manuals for police departments and sheriffs' offices, detention facility manuals and dispatcher manuals. These policy manuals are available in hard copy, on computer disk, or can be sent as an e-mail attachinent. Additionally, through a grant with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Department of Justice, we provide Internet access at no cost to many rural agencies across the country. Click here for a full description of services provided by the NCRLE.
If you need additional information or have questions, call James Carmack @ (501) 570-8000.