New Fort Smith police chief named

FORT SMITH — After months of waiting, Fort Smith finally has a new police chief.

City Administrator Carl Geffken announced Friday he selected Danny Baker for the position.

A member of the Fort Smith Police Department for over 18 years, Baker had served as interim chief of the department since April 8, according to a news release. He has 22 years of experience in law enforcement. The previous police chief, Nathaniel Clark, resigned from his position March 24.

During a news conference on Friday, Baker said he was humbled to be given this opportunity, especially knowing the number of qualified candidates for the job.

“To be allowed to serve the Fort Smith Police Department as its next chief is indeed an honor, and I certainly appreciate it,” Baker said. “I appreciate Mr. Geffken’s confidence in my abilities. I know this is an incredible responsibility.”

Geffken said his decision to appoint Baker over candidates with more experience in police department administration involved both the qualities needed for the department and the qualities each candidate brought.

There were three “very highly qualified” candidates for the job, which were drawn from a pool of 28 applicants. The three finalists included Baker, Little Rock Assistant Police Chief Alice Fulk and Palestine, Texas, Police Chief Andy Harvey, who were all interviewed in Fort Smith Sept. 16.

“So it’s not just time and tenure, although that is important,” Geffken said. “It’s the needs of the department, it’s understanding where the department is at this point in time and where the department and the city need to go in future, and with all of that together, I felt that Danny was the best candidate.”

Geffken said both Fulk and Harvey did “wonderfully” during the interview process, and wished them luck in the future. This was Geffken’s second appointment for the police chief position.

Fulk had been in the Little Rock Police Department for 27 years, with Harvey having served as a police officer for 23 years between Palestine and Dallas.

Baker has an associate of arts degree in sociology/ psychology from Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Okla., and a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice with a law enforcement emphasis from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Okla., the news release states.

Fort Smith’s Police Department has 164 uniformed officers and 54 civilian personnel.