Review Of Local Police Departments

ACCIDENTS, ILLEGAL DRUGS, TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS KEEP POLICE BUSY

Prairie Grove

One of the biggest police cases of 2013 in western Washington County involved a joint investigation with the Prairie Grove Police Department, Washington County Sheriff ’s Office and the prosecuting attorney’s office.

The initial investigation began in April when the Prairie Grove Police Department was contacted by a man in Ohio who claimed he was scammed of $40,000. The man was able to track his money to Arvest Bank in Prairie Grove.

After beginning his investigation, Lt. Jeff O’Brien discovered that the scam involved victims in other states and he contacted the sheriff ’s department for assistance.

The end result was that the sheriff’s office arrested Michael and Mindee Sanders of Prairie Grove and charged them with felony theft of property by deception. The two were accused of stealing more than $100,000 from various companies and owners throughout the United States, including people in Hawaii, Louisiana, Illinois, North Dakota and Oklahoma.

A spokeswoman with the Washington County Prosecuting Attor- ney’s office said Michael Sanders’ case was transferred to federal court in August 2013, and the charges against Mindee Sanders were dropped.

For 2013, the Prairie Grove Police Department received 908 reported cases, worked 101 vehicle accidents and served 423 warrants, according to information provided by O’Brien.

Arrests throughout the year (for both misdemeanors and felonies) included 53 arrests for possession of drugs, 26 arrests for possession of drug paraphernalia and 19 theft charges. In addition, the department made 46 arrests involving domestic cases, 46 DWI arrests, 21 arrests for public intoxication and two people were charged with rape.

In other highlights last year, Capt. Chris Workman graduated from the Criminal Justice Institute School of Law Enforcement Supervision and Sgt. Chris Porter was recognized by the Arkansas House of Representatives for making more than 150 DWI arrests during his five-year career.

The officers helped more than 50 children through the department’s Shop with a Cop program in December.

Farmington

The Farmington Police Department reported 526 cases during 2013, worked 105 accidents and served 249 warrants, according to Sgt. Billie Virgin.

These reports are in addition to times that Farmington officers were dispatched by the Washington County Sheriff ’s Office, said Sgt. Mike Wilbanks, public information officer. Wilbanks said sheriff ’s office dispatched Farmington officers on 3,985 calls throughout the year. These calls included domestic disturbances, serving warrants, animal complaints and delivering emergency messages.

The police department issues a report that shows the offenses recorded each month and the January 2013 report shows an allegation of first-degree murder.

Virgin said this report was generated when a mother came in claiming that her baby who died in 1997 had not died of sudden infant death syndrome as determined by the autopsy but was murdered. Virgin said the detective looked into the mother’s allegations but the mother did not return to talk to the detective to give additional information.

The detective did not find any evidence of murder and closed the case, Virgin said.

The monthly reports show that Farmington made 28 arrests for possession of drugs, seven arrests for possession of drug para- phernalia, 10 DWI arrests, 91 for theft or burglary, five for aggravated assault and 26 involving domestic cases.

In addition, Farmington officers arrested eight people for public intoxication, seven people for rape and made two kidnapping arrests in 2013.

Farmington police officers gave out 2,079 tickets in 2013, according to a report that shows the tickets issued by each officer. Officer Geoffrey Kimball issued the most tickets, a total of 587 for the year. August was the busiest month with 238 tickets issued, compared to the lowest month, 44 tickets in December.

Other Farmington highlights include 1,130 hours of training in 2013. Officer Josh Catron graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy and Kimball graduated from John Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. Chief Brian Hubbard and Chad Parrish, school resource officer, completed training for an active shooter crisis. The department helped about 20 children with its Shop with a Cop program.

Lincoln

The Lincoln Police Department reported 1,582 total incidents in 2013, which included 12 DWI cases, 175 criminal cases, 25 accidents and 1,375 traffic violations, according to information supplied by Tracey Irwin, chief court clerk.

Two criminal cases stood out to Cpl. Brian Key as he thought back to 2013 with both happening in May.

“The biggest one would have been a stabbing at the Townhouse Apartments,” Key said.

One person was stabbed after an altercation broke out between two people at one of the apartments. A second person was cut on the hand after trying to stop the altercation. Later a meth lab was discovered at a nearby apartment. The stabbing victim survived and Caleb Pyle, 20, was arrested and charged with battery first degree and manufacturing methamphetamine.

The second biggest case in Lincoln, according to Key, was when an officer was dispatched to investigate sounds of a shotgun blast and discovered the blasts were coming from chemical bombs made by mixing rubbing alcohol and chlorine in a Mountain Dew bottle.

Steve Swain, 43, told the officer his son and friends were making “chemical” bombs in the back of the house.

Police arrested Swain on first degree child endangerment charges, possession of a firearm by a certain person, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Three juveniles were arrested and faced felony criminal use of a prohibited weapons.

Key and Assistant Chief Tony Lee agreed those two cases were ones officers thought about when looking back at last year.

“The biggest was the stabbing,” Lee said, adding the Washington County Sheriff ’s deputies assisted Lincoln officers with the case.

“We get calls from them on several cases and they assist us on some,” Lee said about the Washington County Sheriff ’s Office.

Key said the majority of cases worked by the police department last year involved alcohol or drugs.

The police department also helped 20 children with its Shop With A Cop program, according to Key.

COURTESY PHOTO State Rep. Charlene Fite of Van Buren recognizes Sgt. Chris Porter with Prairie Grove Police Department for his DWI arrests. Porter has made more than 150 DWI arrests during the past five years.