Washington, DC – JonesboroRightNow.com – Wes Baxter of Jonesboro, president of the Arkansas Narcotic Officers’ Association (ANOA), along with his colleague and former law enforcement officer Lee Freeman, met with members of the Arkansas delegation, including Senator John Boozman, on Wednesday.

The ANOA’s mission is to “unite police officers and other law enforcement professionals who share a common interest in drug enforcement in a collaborative effort to reduce the supply and demand of illicit drugs and illegally diverted drugs.” They achieve this mission through training, information sharing, and education.

The meeting with Senator Boozman took place at Boozman’s Capitol Hill office. Baxter and Freeman were representing the ANOA at the National Narcotic Officers Association Coalition in Washington, DC.

After their meeting, Boozman said, “When it comes to keeping our communities safe from illegal and deadly drugs, law enforcement officers focused on stopping narcotics crimes are critical to protecting our neighborhoods. Their dedication and skill are invaluable. We appreciate Wes Baxter’s leadership to bolster coordination across the local, state, and federal levels to keep Arkansans safe and drug-free.”

Arkansas’s senior U.S. Senator and the dean of the state’s Congressional delegation, Boozman is also a Senate Appropriations Committee member and subcommittee chairman. He secured direct investments for Arkansas law enforcement in the FY26 Appropriations bill for the Justice Department that was signed into law in January 2026.

Those investments include:

• $3.5 million for Real-Time Crime Center equipment and technology in Jonesboro.
• Funding to help establish the Arkansas Criminal Intelligence Network, which will allow real-time crime-sharing information and evidence analysis for law enforcement agencies across the state.
• An investment to assist the Arkansas State Police with investigation hardware, software, and tools related to solving internet crime,s including online child sex abuse.

For more information on funding Boozman secured across the Natural State through Congressional Directed Spending in FY26, click here for details regarding the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Energy, Interior, and agencies projects, and here for information on the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education projects.