LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An Arkansas advocacy group is calling on Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to take decisive action against gun violence, following months of inaction on their request to remove illegal guns from the streets.
On May 10, members of the group Arkansas Stop The Violence delivered a letter to the governor’s office, urging her to address the proliferation of unregistered firearms. The group’s organizer, Benny Johnson, expressed concern over the impact of illegal guns on the community, highlighting the devastating toll it has taken on families like that of Lakesia Smith, who lost her son to gun violence in 2014.
“It’s a lot of families. We shouldn’t have to go through this; it shouldn’t be all this fighting and shooting,” Smith said, reflecting the sentiments of many who signed the letter to the governor.
Now, three months later, the group says they have yet to see any meaningful response from Governor Sanders. Johnson noted that while the governor acknowledged the need for action, words alone are not enough.
“The letter basically says that the governor’s in agreement with us that the state needs to be saved,” Johnson said. “I wish she could put together a task force to deal with these issues because it’s a lot of people that’s losing their lives.”
Despite a reported 27% drop in crime rates in Little Rock compared to the same period last year, according to the Little Rock Police Department, families like Corbella Crutchfield’s continue to feel the impact of gun violence. Crutchfield has lost multiple family members to shootings, including two godsons and a nephew.
“I’ve lost two godsons, Darryl Esaw Jr. recently, Samajay O’Neil, and my nephew Barry Campbell,” Crutchfield said. She emphasized that immediate action from the governor could help prevent further tragedies.
In response to the group’s concerns, Governor Sanders’ spokesperson Sam Dubke issued a statement asserting that the governor has already taken significant steps to combat crime in Arkansas.
“Governor Sanders has taken strong action to fight crime in Arkansas,” the statement read. “She put more police officers on the road, raised their compensation, and placed tougher penalties on violent repeat offenders—and it’s already having an effect: violent crime in Little Rock is down double digits from this time last year.”
The statement also highlighted the governor’s Safer, Stronger Arkansas legislative package, signed in 2023, which includes the Protect Act, imposing tougher penalties on violent repeat offenders, and Death by Delivery, which targets drug dealers whose actions result in death. Additionally, the package included investments in law enforcement training and compensation, as well as the first major investment in Arkansas’ prison system in nearly two decades.
Despite these measures, Arkansas Stop The Violence continues to push for more direct action, particularly in addressing the issue of illegal firearms that remain on the streets.
