An increase in federal gun prosecutions resulted in an award for the Little Rock Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, recognized the Little Rock ATF office on June 4, 2019, for its efforts during an award presentation, at which time Hiland thanked the office for its assistance in prosecuting the largest increase in Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) cases of any U.S. Attorney’s office in the nation.
ATF leaders including Acting Resident Agent in Charge Stephen Bridgmon, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kristen deTineo, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Will McCrary were present to receive special recognition from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to a plaque presented at the ceremony, the Little Rock ATF Field Office was recognized “in appreciation for their outstanding assistance to the United States Attorney’s Office in the investigation and prosecution of the greatest increase of PSN cases for a district in fiscal year 2018.”
“ATF in Little Rock has done an outstanding job of making our communities safer,” stated U.S. Attorney Hiland. “Investigating and prosecuting felons with guns is a top priority, and we could not successfully remove these criminals from our streets without the historic, tireless work of the ATF agents who are willing to go the extra mile.”
In 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas prosecuted 83% more cases than in 2017, the largest increase in the nation. Many of these new cases were gun cases prosecuted in partnership with the ATF. The U.S. Attorney’s Office opened 290 ATF cases, and 167 of those resulted in an indictment. Through May 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicted 63 ATF cases. Because many cases include multiple defendants, a total of 83 defendants have been indicted as part of ATF prosecutions so far in 2019.
“ATF’s top priorities are to protect the public and remove violent criminals from our streets,” Acting Special Agent in Charge deTineo said. “Initiatives such as Project Safe Neighborhood demonstrate ATF and its federal, state and local law enforcement partners’ commitment to pursuing and bringing to justice those that seek to disrupt communities and harm law abiding citizens. Our agents and task force officers are well deserving of recognition for their dedication to this endeavor.”
Prosecutions resulting from ATF investigations are part of Project Safe Neighborhood, a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
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