LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. is crediting a strategy the city enacted for a dropping crime rate.

Scott said the summertime crime reduction strategy has led to a 22% drop in overall crime in the city over the past five years. Violent crime dropped 15% in the same period, with year-to-year crime showing an 18% drop and an 8% violent crime rate drop, he said.

Scott said the summertime program came from a back-to-basics approach of positive prevention programs for children and youth, community-oriented policing and targeted patrols in high-crime areas.

City statistics show more than 5,000 Little Rock children and youth participated in Parks Department programs like Youth Summer Camps and swimming lessons over the summer. At the same time, the Department of Community

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