EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second installment of a two-part annual series looking at the Hot Springs Police Department's accomplishments over the past year, and its future plans. In this installment, Hot Springs police discuss their goals for 2019.
Steven Mross
The Sentinel-Record
Hot Springs Police Chief Jason Stachey said two of the top project goals for 2019 will be the implementation of a new radio system and completing upgrades and enhancements to the existing communication system.
He said he anticipates the new system will be up and running by late summer or early fall.
"We're working with Motorola on a weekly basis with several conference calls every week, keeping up with our status on the new system," he said. "Along with that comes the enhancements to our existing system currently in progress, including purchasing a new generator and new HVAC equipment."
He said they were also in the process of purchasing an uninterrupted power supply system, so in the event of a power outage the department will be able to continue without a break in operations.
"Equally important, maybe not as big, we are working to receive our reaccreditation status from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program or ALEAP," Stachey said, noting it was a program former Police Chief David Flory implemented.
"That's something we are going to continue," he said, noting the Hot Springs Police Department was the first one to be fully accredited in Arkansas in 2015. Since then 10 to 15 other agencies in the state have been accredited.
"We'll be the first to be reaccredited when we complete it again," Assistant Police Chief Walt Everton said, noting they have to go through the evaluation process every three years.
"We have to go through all policies and standards again just like you started over," Stachey said. "Basically making sure we're still abiding by our profession's best policies and practices, such as use of force, pursuit. There are so many different aspects of law enforcement and we want to make sure we're in compliance."
"We want to be the tip of the spear, not the end of the spear," Everton said. "We want to help lead the way and do things right." Both said they thought it was great for the state that other law enforcement agencies followed their lead.
Stachey said he also plans to provide a second internal Leadership Development Course for officers in 2019.
"One thing we got a lot of positive feedback on was our Leadership Development course we started in 2017," he said. "We didn't do it in 2018, but we are going to continue with it in 2019 and we're going to open it up to all officers, whether here for six months or 20-plus years.
"We're looking at developing the next group of leaders," he said, noting new officers are on probation for six months, but after that would be eligible to participate.
"A long time ago, you would have officers go for years until they made sergeant and then we would start training them to be a leader," Everton said, noting he thought Stachey's plan to start earlier was a brilliant move.
"We want to bring these officers into the training program as quickly as possible," Stachey said.
The department will also continue mandatory training in "Procedural Justice" for all employees, not just uniformed officers, Stachey said.
"It's basically a newer policing concept that really stresses the importance of communication, developing relationships with the community and learning to be empathetic. We have a high number of calls for service and it gets easy for an officer to lose perspective," he said.
"It's compassion and empathy," Everton said. "Where an officer enters any situation asking how can I help? It teaches officers how to deal with people who are under stress or in a crisis. Most of the time you only call the police when you need them really bad."
Stachey said the Procedural Justice training will take place Feb. 4-6 for all officers and civilian employees. "Even the records people can use it. We want to provide the best customer service to the citizens we can," he said.
The department will continue its crime reduction strategies with drug interdiction operations, Stachey said. "These are often long-term operations, three to four months, targeting dealers. We get anonymous calls and our special narcotics unit investigates."
Stachey said they plan to replace one of their K-9s, Keena, who is retiring. "She's done a fantastic service," he said. They will also be sending certain officers to polygraph examination school and accident reconstruction classes.
Sgt. Kirk Zaner is currently a polygraph examiner and will continue in that role, but they needed two, Stachey said. "We will send someone on to help Zaner. You always want to maintain two."
He said the same was true for accident reconstruction experts, noting "you want to maintain a steady pool who can step in as needed. It's a big commitment."
Stachey said the department would continue its "partnership with the community" through police-sponsored events like Boo with a Badge and Bridging the Gap and would continue its Citizens Police Academy and Teen Police Academy, noting they are still taking applications for the CPA until Jan. 31.
"We will also continue to enjoy a great working relationship with the Garland County Sheriff's Department and Arkansas State Police," he said. "They are great partners to have whether it's getting involved in some type of community event or taking part in some kind of operation. We always work well together and it's great to have that."
Both Stachey and Everton took a moment to reflect on the recent death of retired Capt. Willie McCoy, who served 33 years with the Hot Springs Police Department and was the department's first African-American captain.
"When I think of Capt. McCoy, I think of his love for the youth of Hot Springs and his dedication to the young boys and girls here," Stachey said. "He spent I don't know how many years making sure young boys and girls had a place they could go and gave them a positive outlet through boxing."
"The lives he changed and influenced by coaching boxing, I don't think there's even a number you could give," Everton said.
"Countless individuals, now adults, spent time with McCoy through his boxing programs," Stachey said. "He had a very positive influence and that's something we should all recognize and strive to do. The youth of today are the adults of tomorrow and we can all learn from his example to be better role models and mentors."
Everton said when he first started in 1993, McCoy was there and "I worked for him for a long time. He paid a lot of attention to details. He was very community oriented and a strong leader."
"When he walked into the room, he just had that command presence," Stachey said. "He always wore his uniform with pride and dignity. He's going to be missed in the community and by his family and this department."
Local on 01/21/2019