Arkansas Crimes Against Children Division reports 64,956 hotline contacts in 2024, 29% substantiation rate for investigations

Kalika Rogers, investigations administrator for the Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division, presented the division’s 2024 annual report to a legislative committee, saying the child‑abuse hotline received 64,956 contacts and CACD was assigned 6,179 investigations in the year.

“The child abuse hotline received 64,956 contacts in 2024, which is a decrease of 2,684 calls from the previous year,” Rogers said. She reported 34,402 contacts were accepted for investigation by CACD and DCFS combined, a decrease of 1,352 reports from 2023. CACD’s investigations unit was assigned 6,179 investigations in 2024 and closed 5,974 investigations; 1,755 of those were found true, yielding a 29% substantiation rate for closed CACD investigations.

Rogers walked members through monthly and quarterly breakdowns in the report and highlighted category and priority classifications used by the hotline. Committee members asked whether the 2020–21 increase in hotline contacts was attributable to COVID‑era effects and greater mandated‑reporting awareness; Rogers said the division had increased mandated‑reporter education and that could account for part of the earlier rise, but she did not provide a definitive attribution for year‑to‑year changes.

No committee action was taken; members received the annual report and asked questions about trends and public education.