Animal services gets new police leadership
The Hot Springs Police Department has consolidated its authority over animal services by installing a police sergeant to oversee animal control in the city and unincorporated area of Garland County.
Police Chief Jason Stachey told the Hot Springs Board of Directors earlier this week that animal services is now under the supervision of Sgt. Richard Harkness, who served previously as the department’s special operations supervisor responsible for school resource officers, downtown bike patrols, housing authority policing, K-9 units and traffic enforcement. Animal services was brought under the police department’s authority in 2013.
Stachey told the board the leadership change models what’s been done in Jonesboro, where Harkness spent two days training for his new job.
“Jonesboro has a system in place we’re copying,” he said. “It’s very efficient, and it allows for greater accountability. We’ll also be sending (Harkness) to several schools for certifications.”
Stachey told the board the resignation of the former animal services director has freed up General Fund money for an additional sergeant’s position. A resolution the board will consider as part of its consent agenda Tuesday night transfers $81,300 from the animal services division to the Police Fund, increasing the number of uniformed positions to 106.
The budget adjustment reduces appropriated positions at animal services from 9.5 to 8.5, but Harkness’ transition
effectively keeps previous staffing levels in place.
Stachey said he has tasked Harkness with continuing the trend of increased adoptions and reclamations animal services saw last year, going from 488 adoptions in 2016 to 535 in 2017. Owners reclaimed 248 animals in 2016 and 265 last year. Stachey said the animal shelter’s heightened social media presence contributed to the increases.
He said the shelter will continue its noon-to-5 p.m. hours of operation Monday through Friday but will host more adoption events on Saturdays. Adoption promotion will also be aided by animal services becoming more conspicuous to the public, he said.
“The community will see animal control involved in more community events,” he said. “Our goal is to get more animals adopted into the community this coming year. We’ll see an increase in the number of Saturdays where the public can walk through the facility and take an animal home.”
Harkness assumes his new role as a more metropolitan approach to animal control is taking hold, one that uses geographical distinctions instead of political boundaries to divide the service area. Adoption of the interlocal agreement enabling the shift is also part of Tuesday night’s consent agenda. The Garland County Quorum Court adopted the agreement last year.
Stachey said animal control officers will be assigned to north and south zones, with calls for service in the incorporated and unincorporated area receiving equal priority.
“We want to provide services as efficiently and equitably to the county as we do for the city under this agreement,” he said. “We’re still discussing logistics and where the north and south line will fall.”
The county will pay $347,613, or half of the city’s annual budget for animal services, excluding expenses associated with the city’s Bark Park on Hollywood Avenue. It was paying $211,000 a year but was told by the city last year that costs would have to be shared equally if the county wanted to continue the contract, as the city said more than half of the shelter’s intake came from animals outside the city limits.
The county has contracted the city for animal services since 1999.
A county animal control program was contemplated last year after county officials said the city wasn’t providing service equal to what was being offered in consideration. The county paid an architect $9,750 for a conceptual design of a county animal shelter at the Garland County Detention Center but decided against striking out on its own.
The agreement is relevant to cats and dogs. Responsibility for livestock and exotic animals will be considered separately, with the city and county making arrangements not governed by the agreement.
District court fines assessed for violations of animal control laws will be remitted to the county if the offense occurs in the unincorporated area, and the city won’t assess the county daily boarding fees for animals impounded from one address if they number four or fewer.
Three of the seven positions on the city’s Animal Control Advisory Committee will be reserved for unincorporated area residents. The new agreement has a one-year term and is subject to review after six months.