Violent crime down first half of ’22, police chief says

Violent crimes reported in the city during the first half of 2022 fell 49% and 53% compared to 2021 and 2020, according to reports entered into the Hot Springs Police Department’s records management system.

Police Chief Chris Chapmond presented stats Wednesday to the Civil Service Commission that showed 1,316 violent crimes during the first six months of the year, down from 2,575 last year and 2,775 in 2020. Three homicides were reported during the first half of the year, down from five last year and five in 2020.

The department said the stats are not an official tally of reported crimes, as some reports may be unfounded after they are investigated.

“I think that’s reflective of the reduction in violent crime we saw last year that’s carrying over to this year,” Chapmond told the commission. “We’re continuing to see the fruits of the implementation of the crime reduction strategy. That’s an amazing staff, doing an amazing job utilizing new technology and new processes with a new outlook on how to address issues.”

Other information presented during the meeting included the following:

• Chapmond said his department and other area and state law enforcement agencies are trained to confront active shooters before backup or tactical teams arrive at a scene.

“Regardless of one person, two people, we’re not waiting for SWAT,” Chapmond told the commission.

“We’re not waiting for backup. We go to the threat. There’s no approval needed.

“That’s the way we’re trained. Our youngest rookie officer receives it at the academy level, and then it’s reiterated here through mandatory training. We’re all trained to the same level and

techniques across the region. You never know how somebody’s going to react under fire, but we are trained in a very high-level rapid response immediately to the threat. Singular, multiple, whoever’s there is going.”

Chapmond said the department taught 18 civilian responses to active shooter classes last month.

“We’ve been teaching hundreds of people in our community how to survive an active attack,” he said. “A big portion of training on the civilian side is how to survive an attack from the time it starts until the time police get there.”

• The department expanded the outdoor gunshot detection system the city licenses from Shotspotter Inc., doubling the 2-square-mile coverage area that went live last summer. The system uses acoustical sensors to pinpoint the exact location of gunfire.

“We’ve seen that increase our evidence collection by over 200% and the ability to tie crimes together,” Chapmond told the commission. “It’s a single tool in the toolbox, but it’s a very effective tool.”

According to the department’s stats, the 334 shots fired calls during the first six months of the year were 52% lower than last year and 60% lower than 2020.

• The department offered jobs to the five recruits interviewed by command staff last month.

“They are currently going through medical and final stages of being hired,” Chapmond said. “Our anticipation is to get them through the September training academy.”

The 2022 police fund budget included 115 uniformed positions. Five would be unfilled if the new recruits are hired. The Community Oriented Policing Services grant the U.S. Department of Justice awarded the city last year required the addition of five uniformed positions.

The Hot Springs department was one of two agencies in the state to receive the grant. DOJ awarded its application in full, providing $625,000 that will pay 75% of five new officers’ salary and benefits for three years. The city is required to fully fund the positions for at least one year after the grant funding ends.

Testing for applicants interested in filling the five open positions will be held on Sept. 17. Chapmond told the commission he’s hopeful suggestions from the committee the department formed in the spring will bolster recruiting.

“They’ve come up with some good ideas,” he said. “I told them I don’t know how to recruit this generation. This younger committee we’ve put together has come up with some ideas I wouldn’t have thought of.”