State police director to change; Witt goes

Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson is making a change at the top of the Arkansas State Police.

The current state police director, Col. Stan Witt, announced Tuesday afternoon in a news release that he was informed Monday by Hutchinson that the governor-elect “will make a change in the leadership of the Arkansas State Police.”

Witt, a 29-year veteran of the department, was selected by Gov. Mike Beebe as director in August 2012, replacing the retiring J.R. Howard.

According to Arkansas Code Annotated 12-8-104, the “director of the department of Arkansas State Police shall serve at the pleasure of the governor.”

“I appreciate the years of service that Col. Witt has provided as director of the Arkansas State Police and am grateful for his work during this time of transition,” Hutchinson said in an emailed statement. “As a former prosecutor, I understand the critical role our state police have in Arkansas, and I look forward to building on the leadership established by Col. Witt.”

Hutchinson spokesman J.R. Davis said a new state police director is one of

several new appointments Hutchinson is considering for his tenure.

“It’s a new governor, and he’s looking at every position in state government,” Davis said.

Hutchinson, a Republican from Rogers who will be sworn in Jan. 13, has already announced that Joe Thompson will be replaced as state surgeon general.

Hutchinson is expected to name a replacement for Witt soon. Witt will “certainly continue to serve this governor through the course of this administration,” state police spokesman Bill Sadler said.

Attempts to reach Arkansas State Police Commission members Daniel “Woody” Futrell, Wallace Fowler and Lewis Shepherd at their places of business after hours Tuesday were unsuccessful.

In his news release, Witt asked state police employees to support “Arkansas’ new governor and his new state police director” during the transition period.

“Change is only another word for new opportunities,” he said. “But if we are to be successful as these new opportunities arise, we must continue with a spirit of service and the remarkable commitment to the job assignments each of you have demonstrated over the past two years and four months while I’ve been your state police director.

“I ask for your continued support, and I appreciate each of you.”

A native of Imboden, Witt’s first law-enforcement job was in 1975 as a 19-year-old radio operator for the Walnut Ridge Police Department before earning a promotion to patrolman. After stops at other northeast Arkansas law enforcement agencies, Witt joined the Lawrence County sheriff’s office in 1983 as a chief deputy. He was elected Lawrence County sheriff in 1984 but resigned in October 1985 after being offered a commission as a trooper by the state police. Witt served with state police Troop B in Newport until 1992 when he joined Company F in Jonesboro as an investigator. He served in that position until 1999. In 1998, Witt, who was a corporal at the time, was commended for his work after the shooting at Westside Middle School near Jonesboro, when two students killed five people and injured 10.

He served as a sergeant with the state police until he was promoted to lieutenant and earned the title of operations manager in the director’s office in 2007. In 2010, he was promoted to captain and assistant commander of the state police’s Administrative Services Division. Less than a month before being appointed as director of the state police, Witt was promoted to major and named the Administrative Services Division’s commander.

Beebe, in announcing Witt’s appointment in 2012, called him a “trooper’s trooper. Somebody who has done just about everything I think there is to do in this department.”

Witt’s current salary is $118,786.10.