First municipal IDs
LR kicks off program to make life easier for Hispanics, homeless.
Little Rock leaders and Police Chief Kenton Buckner celebrated what the top policeman called a “Super Bowl moment” for the city ID program on Saturday.
Plans for ID cards geared toward Little Rock’s Hispanic and homeless communities have wound their way through city government channels since at least 2016. City Director Joan Adcock has shepherded the effort.
At Saturday’s program kick-off, the first 150 people lined up outside the city’s new multicultural liaison’s office, 7414 Doyle Springs Road, received appointment dates to receive ID cards.
The cards, officially referred to as municipal IDs, can be used in a variety of ways. One of the most valuable will be as verification to open bank accounts.
Hope Credit Union will recognize the IDs as a primary form of identification. First Community Bank and First Security Bank will recognize the cards as secondary forms of identification.
The ID cards also will foster trust between the Police Department and the Hispanic community and help people identify themselves when interacting with an officer, Buckner said.
To have a safe city, “you’ve got to have a sense of belonging,” Mayor Mark Stodola said. Addressing the predominantly Hispanic crowd gathered Saturday, Stodola said, “You’re our friends. You’re our neighbors. And we embrace you.”
The ID cards will be useful for the city’s homeless population, the mayor said, because they can use the IDs to help manage their finances and seek work.
Stodola and Buckner received their own laminated ID cards Saturday. To do so, each man filled out a form with his name, address and other basic information. They could include their preferred language, any serious medical condition and emergency
contact information, as well.
Applicants have to prove their identities and that they live in Little Rock. A list of acceptable documents is available at littlerock.gov or by calling Maricella Garcia, the city’s multicultural liaison, at (501) 565-7233.
A person must be 14 or older to receive an ID and must schedule an appointment. That can be done in person at Garcia’s office or over the phone. There’s also an online portal, although the link was not working as of Saturday evening.
An ID costs $10. There are waivers for certain circumstances, such as if a person is homeless or makes below 50 percent of the federal poverty guideline, which works out to about $500 a month.
For Fernando Fernandez, the ID card is a way to be verified in “the eyes of the government.” The 42-yearold mechanic was first in line. He arrived at 5 a.m. The doors to the multicultural office opened after 10 a.m.
“I like to be punctual,” Fernandez said.
Irma Estrada, who arrived at 6 a.m., cradled her sleeping 2-month-old baby to her chest. Estrada decided to get an ID card because she needed identification to pay her hospital bills, she said.
Claudia Lugo munched on popcorn before she was ushered inside to receive her appointment date. Through a translator, Lugo said she wanted an ID card to open a bank account so she no longer has to carry cash in her pocket.
Oscar Tobar, who moved to Little Rock 10 years ago from Guatemala and works at Larry’s Pizza, didn’t identify a single use for the ID card. Instead, Tobar said, he will use the ID for “everything.”