Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK — Residents of three small Arkansas towns are looking to sheriff’s offices for law enforcement now that they have no police officers to patrol their streets.
Huntington in western Arkansas’ Sebastian County, Stamps in the southwest’s Lafayette County, and Holly Grove in Monroe County in east-central Arkansas are all doing without a local police force.
In Holly Grove, a town of 722 residents, Police Chief Jason Johnston was fired May 29 after a series of suspected arsons were reported. Mayor Lula Tyler said at the time that Johnston’s firing wasn’t directly related to the fires but that the city needed new leadership in its police department to make residents feel safe.
After vandalism Sunday, Johnston’s replacement resigned. City leaders planned to meet Monday to address the vacancy.
In Stamps, pop. 2,131, police Sgt. Chuck Caya submitted a letter to Mayor Ian Ouei, resigning May 29. Stamps Police Chief Robert Drake had been fired May 14 after he got into a disagreement with the Lafayette County sheriff.
Caya said in his letter: “The reason I am leaving is that there is no communication between you and myself in reference to the running of the Stamps Police Department. I can no longer work under these conditions.”
The mayor said he was surprised by Caya’s resignation.
“He said he decided he didn’t want to work in this situation. I’m not sure what situation he envisioned. It came as a surprise to me,” Ouei said.
The Lafayette County sheriff’s office is now patrolling the city.
Caya also said he had an agreement with Drake to use either vacation or “comp” time to do volunteer work for the Special Olympics. He said when he returned after two vacation days of doing the volunteer work, he wasn’t paid for those days.
In addition, Caya said, the town has a problem with patrol cars.
“It’s reached a point the patrol cars are unsafe and in poor condition. The radios are inadequate or don’t work,” Caya said. “The transmissions slip so bad, it makes you wonder if it is going to run. They don’t have the money to fix them.”
In Huntington, pop. 688, the only police officer was fired May 25 for what the mayor said was insubordination. Mayor Craig Cotner said the city had received several complaints from residents about Officer Ryan Stephens. The mayor declined to elaborate.
Stephens’ lawyer, Kevin Ridgley, says his client maintains he was fired in retaliation for asking the city council to see that police equipment _ including badges, firearms, radios and uniforms _ obtained by the mayor from previous officers be returned to the Huntington Police Department.
Ridgley has asked that his client be reinstated.