Robert H. Harrison
Chief of Police
Message from the Chief Robert H. Harrison
In reflecting back
on the year 2002, I must admit it was a challenging year for our police department.
The Board of Directors’ decision to refinance some existing bonds this year
provided some badly needed funds for new police cars and equipment for officers
to do their job.
Our officers did an excellent job in reducing the overall crime rate from the previous year. However, with personnel shortages because of several vacancies and three frozen positions, we began to see increases in the last quarter. Historically, the crime rate tends to be cyclical and is effected by a wide range of external factors, such as economic conditions (poverty level and unemployment), the attitude of citizens toward crime and even the climate.
During the current times of homeland security and budget concerns, the burden on local law enforcement continues to grow. We also recognize the financial situation of our city is not unique to Texarkana, Arkansas. Our police department is up to the challenge. In the face of shrinking resources and increasing demands, we continue to seek innovative ways to insure the public is protected and priority calls were answered in a timely manner. We are implementing strategies to reinforce the vital link between crime analysis and uniformed operations and investigations.
As always, the Department plans to continue and enhance our commitment to making crime information available to the citizens of Texarkana. We maintain an excellent working relationship with all local media outlets and utilize them to keep the community informed. Additionally, our web site (http://www.txkusa.org/arkpolice) provides timely information on current crime problems and other relevant information.
The 2002 Annual Report is one of many resources the Texarkana Police Department provides to the citizens of Texarkana. In these pages, you will find detailed, relevant information on crime issues affecting the city. Behind this report is a firm policy of ensuring that the Texarkana community is a well-informed partner of the Texarkana Police Department and its efforts. Working together, we can make Texarkana a good place to live, work, and raise a family.
2002 ANNUAL REPORT
THE YEAR AT A GLANCE
| 2002 | 2001 | Difference | % Change | |
| Calls for Service | 41,979 | 42,394 | - 415 | - 1% |
| UCR Crime Index | 1,908 | 2,339 | - 465 | - 18% |
| Citations Issued | 4,537 | 4,724 | - 187 | - 4% |
| Warnings Issued | 1,831 | 1,529 | - 302 | + 19% |
| Arrests Made | 3,991 | 3,857 | + 134 | + 3% |
| Warrants Received | 1,337 | 1,837 | - 500 | - 27% |
| Warrants Served | 1,792 | 1,841 | - 49 | - 3% |
| Animal Service Calls | 3,948 | 3,264 | + 684 | + 21% |
The Police
Department was operating at less than full staffing levels at the end of 2002.
Three positions were vacant at the end of the year and were subsequently frozen
by the Board of Directors as a cost savings measure. Over the last decade,
we have been quite successful in utilizing funding from federal, state, and
local grants to fund commissioned positions. This has proven to be an excellent
means of enhancing our community’s law enforcement resources but is now somewhat
more difficult given the economic tone across the nation and within our own
community. As the City as grown and annexed new areas, these positions have
proven necessary. The Police Department is dedicated to exploring alternative
funding sources in the future for needed personnel and equipment to provide
our community with quality law enforcement.
Officer
Jody Stubbs was selected as the Officer of the Year for 2002.
On February 15, 2002, an unidentified man walked into a local convenience store at about 3:00 a.m. and robbed the store of an undetermined amount of money. Two nights later, Officer Stubbs observed a man matching the general description of the robber walking toward the same store. Officer Stubbs detained the subject briefly and discovered a mask and an object that could be used to simulate a weapon in his possession. He then placed the man under arrest for the earlier robbery. The arrest made by Officer Stubbs not only allowed detectives to solve the first robbery but most likely prevented a second before it ever happened.
Officer Stubbs has been employed with the Texarkana Police Department since March 1994. He has worked as a beat patrol officer, K-9 handler, and a member of the Special Operations Unit. He is a past recipient of two lifesaving commendations, J. E. Munns Memorial Humanitarian Award, and has twice been selected as Officer of the Quarter. He is married and has two children.
Through his dedication and commitment, he has gained the respect of his fellow officers, supervisors, and the public.
The following personnel actions occurred during 2002:
Retirements:
Lt. Leon Klar Ptl. Dave Long
Promotions:
Captain: None
Lieutenant: Jim Horne
Sergeant: Keith Barr
Officer: Chris Walthall, Reid Davis, Mark Fullen, Erick Meadows
The Texarkana Police Department is divided into four divisions which work together to provide quality law enforcement to the citizens of our community.
The Patrol Division provides basic police services to our community and has the largest number of department personnel. There are many varied functions of the Patrol Division, but the structure is relatively simple. The division is staffed by 41 patrol officers, 6 sergeants, and 3 lieutenants. Captain Calvin Seward serves as the Commander. Additionally, the Special Operations Section - made up of Traffic, Canine, Gang, and Housing Authority officers – operates as part of the Patrol Division.
As the most visible employees of the Police Department, the Patrol Beat Officers are responsible for patrolling the streets of Texarkana in a proactive effort to deter crime and respond to calls for service. Depending on the time of day, between 5 and 10 officers per shift provided patrol services to the City during year 2002. Additionally, officers from the Special Operations Section also patrolled Texarkana streets.
The Patrol
Division responded to almost 42,000 calls for service in 2002, an increase of
about 9,000 over those answered just three years ago in 1999. These calls included
a wide range of activities, including taking reports of criminal activity, traffic
accident investigations, and response to intrusion alarms.
The Special Operations Unit functions as part of the Patrol Division. The unit is comprised of a sergeant and specialized officers who supplement the operational efforts of patrol beat officers and detectives. Depending upon the needs of the department at a given time, these officers may be working a patrol beat, providing surveillance of a high drug area, or assisting with the security of a visiting dignitary.
The Criminal Investigation Division is staffed by 13 detectives, 3 sergeants,
and 1 lieutenant. Captain Mark Lewis serves as the Commander. CID is divided
into three general investigative sections: Crimes Against Persons Section,
Crimes Against Property Section, and the Bi-State Narcotics Task Force. Specially
trained officers are also assigned as part of the Crime Scene Unit, a cooperative
effort between our department and the Texarkana, Texas Police Department.
The Crimes Against Persons Section is responsible for the investigation of all violent crimes including murder, rape, robbery, assault, and domestic violence. This section spent a large part of 2002 working the disappearance case of Roy Baskett who was later determined to have been murdered. Despite never locating a body, Robbin Ridling was subsequently arrested for capital murder in the case and is currently awaiting trial. The Domestic Violence Investigator conducted 592 investigations during 2002. A total of 1,060 cases were investigated by juvenile detectives this year.
The Crimes Against Property Section is responsible for the investigation of all burglaries, larcenies, and vehicle thefts that occur within our city. They are responsible for the majority of investigations that are conducted within the Division and boast an above average clearance rate. A general detective also investigates misdemeanor offenses and assists victims with filing warrant affidavits with the Texarkana District Court.
The Texarkana Metro Narcotics Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional unit that focuses their enforcement efforts on the illegal distribution and street-level sales of drugs and narcotics. In 2002, they made 178 drug-related arrests and seized over $1 million in illegal drugs.
The Services Division handles a wide range of administrative and logistical
responsibilities that directly support the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigation
Division, Texarkana District Court, and Animal Services Section for the citizens
of Texarkana, Arkansas. In comparison to the other divisions within the police
department, this division is the smallest of the three; however, the vast majority
of administrative and management tasks are handled either directly or indirectly
by the staff assigned within this division. Our primary responsibility is to
ensure patrol officers and criminal investigators have the training, equipment,
and administrative support they need to serve our community and provide professional
law enforcement services in a timely manner.
The Division is staffed by a Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, four
patrol officers and nine support personnel. There are many important functions
for which this division is responsible. The Services Division oversees court
docket preparation, computer services, department budget, grant administration,
animal services, and internal affairs investigations. We are also responsible
for the testing, selection, and training of all police officers and civilian
employees. We typically administer a written examination for probationary police
officer in April and October of each year under the supervision of the Civil
Service Commission. Successful applicants for police officer must pass a thorough
background 
investigation,
polygraph, psychological examination, medical examination and drug screen.
This Division coordinates several annual events that have proven to be very beneficial to the community over the years. These include Shop with a Cop in cooperation with the annual Battle of the Badges Football Game, Walmart, and other local police and fire departments. Cops and Kids brings children from Watersprings Ranch and Texarkana Baptist Orphanage together with police officers for an evening of food and fun during the Christmas season.
The Central
Records and Communication (CRC) Division, formerly known as the Bi-State Information
Center (BIC), provides support services to our department and most other public
safety agencies in the Texarkana area. The CRC is funded by the City of Texarkana,
Arkansas, City of Texarkana, Texas, and Bowie County, Texas based upon a formula
that includes the number of 9-1-1 calls and reports received from each jurisdiction.
The civilian division is staffed by 10 records specialists, 25 communication
specialists, 8 data entry clerks, 1 secretary, 5 shift supervisors, 1 information
services coordinator, 1 records manager, 1 information services manager, and
1 communications manager. Captain Ernest Keck serves as the commander. The
Law Enforcement Advisory Committee establishes policies and direction for the
division and provides general supervision of the commander.
The records section serves as the central repository for all law enforcement reports. They processed 23,233 reports in 2002. The communications section is the 9-1-1 answering point for Texarkana and Bowie County, and CRC handled 121,772 9-1-1 calls in 2002. While CRC also dispatches police and fire calls, EMS calls are immediately transferred to LifeNet Emergency Ambulance Service.
One of the many functions of the Texarkana Police Department is tracking and reporting crime trends within the city. These trends are reported to the FBI in the form of a Uniform Crime Report, usually referred to as the UCR. The term “trend” is used because we are actually comparing incidents of crime that occurred during a particular year to those reported in previous years to see if the trend for each crime goes up or down.
During the year of 2002, we experienced an 18 percent decrease in our total crime index. The largest decrease can be found larceny-theft. From a historical perspective, we know that criminal indexes tend to be cyclical. We initiated several initiatives in 2002 that we hoped would address the significant 19 percent increase that we had the previous year. It would be overly simplistic to suggest that these measures alone accounted for the decrease that we experienced in 2002. There are external factors that influence crime statistics that are typically outside local control, such economic conditions and the available prison space for those persons convicted of crimes. We are pleased with the decrease in 2002 and remain cautiously optimistic that this downward trend will continue during the next year.
| Offenses | 2001 | 2002 | Crime Trends |
| Criminal Homicide | 2 | 2 | n/c |
| Forcible Rape | 20 | 14 | - 33% |
| Robbery | 36 | 38 | - 3% |
| Aggravated Assault | 155 | 105 | - 35% |
Violent Crime Index |
213 | 159 | - 29% |
| Burglary | 242 | 291 | + 19% |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,767 | 1,335 | - 25% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 117 | 123 | - 3% |
Property Crime Index |
2,126 | 1,749 | - 19% |
Total Crime Index |
2,339 | 1,908 | - 18% |
| Simple Assaults | 1,384 | 1,366 | - 1% |
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Expenditures remained within overall prorated limits for all police budgets during FY2002. We experienced budget overruns in the office supplies and utilities line items. Our vehicle maintenance costs were significantly lower than 2001 and at a 5-year low primarily as the result of purchasing new patrol units. The total vehicle maintenance expenditures for FY2002 were $51,503 - a 34.5 percent decrease from FY2001 and a slightly smaller 24.3 percent decrease from FY2000 costs. We anticipate this trend to continue through FY2003 as we continue to replace fleet vehicles. |
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Conscious of the City’s financial situation, we have been very aggressive pursuing funding opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels to supplement the City’s efforts to provide quality law enforcement to its citizens. We have been successful in securing over 3.2 million dollars of grant funding in the last decade. These funds have provided additional personnel, technology, equipment, and educational programs that would not have otherwise been available and have had a positive impact on the quality of life in our community. Below is a list of the grant programs active in 2002.
Expired 12/31/02. The THA’s share is $85,000.00 and there is no local match. Pays the full salary and fringe of two police officers whose primary responsibility is Housing Authority property.
Expires 06/30/03. The federal share is $205,210.00 and local match is $88,749.00.
Expires 2003. Pays one half of purchase cost for bulletproof vests for officers. The federal amount is $3,069 and the local match is $3,069.
Expires 09/30/03. Provides law enforcement related equipment and technology. The federal amount is $55,570 and the local match is $6,174.
Expires 09/30/03. Pays the full salary of a police officer to investigate all cases involving violent crime against women and a police liaison position through Domestic Violence Prevention, Inc. The state amount is $78,291.66, and the local in-kind match is $26,119.40.
Expires 09/30/03. Pays overtime for DWI, speed, and occupant protection enforcement. Federal amount is $40,000 with no local match.
Expires 07/11/04. Pays the full salary and fringe for a civilian warrant/complaint officer and the salary for a part-time civilian fleet maintenance manager. It also provides some law enforcement related equipment and technology. The federal amount is $43,014 and the local match is $4,779.
The above chart demonstrates the distribution of calls for service by the hour of day. Analysis of this information allows us to better allocate our manpower and resources to address the call load.
| Call Priority | 2002 YTD Number of Calls | 2001 YTD Number of Calls |
| 1 | 45 | 37 |
| 2 | 1,402 | 1,412 |
| 3 | 9,610 | 10,666 |
| 4 | 2,633 | 2,036 |
| 5 | 23,385 | 23,076 |
| 6 | 4,904 | 5,167 |
| Totals | 41,979 | 42,394 |
| Average Response Times | 4:38 | 4:11 |
Examples of calls associated with each priority level
Priority 1 – Urgent Requests for assistance from Fire, EMS, or Police
Priority 2 – Accident with Injuries, Bank Robbery, Burglary in progress, Homicide, Suicide, House Fire
Priority 3 – Accident without Injuries, Intrusion Alarms, DOA, Disturbance in progress, DWI, Prowler
Priority 4 – Funeral Escorts, Curfew Violation, Animal Running Loose, Loud Party, Prostitution
Priority 5 – Burglary already occurred, Disturbance already occurred, Forgery already occurred
Priority 6 – Parking complaint, Fireworks complaint, Gas Theft, Loose Animal
| Drugs Seized | Amount | Street Value |
| Marijuana | 89.9 lbs | $ 172,372 |
| Methamphetamine | 25.2 ozs. plus 2 illicit labs | 141,982 |
| Cocaine | 4.5 lbs. | 407,160 |
| Crack cocaine | 3.87 lbs. | 315,048 |
| Ecstacy | 3 DU | 90 |
| Total street value of narcotics seized: $ 1,036,651.00 | ||
| Arrests and cases files by investigators: 178 | ||
| Search warrants executed: 49 | ||
We have seen a troubling increase in the availability of methamphetamine in the Texarkana metro area during the last year. Arkansas has traditionally led the nation in the incidence of this drug primarily as a result of the rural nature of the state. However, we are now seeing an increase in the more urban settings. Due to the short time necessary to manufacture methamphetamine, the labs are very difficult to locate before they move on. Despite their simplicity, the “meth” labs are very dangerous and present many unique challenges to officers. We continue to see evidence of the more established drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Texarkana and continue having success identifying and arresting their sources.
Animal Services Officers are assigned as part of the Services Division and
proactively enforce laws that relate to animals. Two Animal Services Officers
are responsible for all calls for service that involve domestic and wild animals.
Animal Services Officers answered 3,948 calls in 2002. This is the second
year in a row where we have experienced a 17 percent increase over the previous
year.
We remain committed to providing quality training and in-service to officers
to prepare them to best do their job. Texarkana police officers received a
total of 7,870 hours of in-service training during 2002. The training areas
were from a wide range of specialties depending upon the officer’s job assignment.
Courses included were basic police academy, firearms, critical incident planning,
criminal investigation methods, crime analysis, and drug enforcement. Officers
assigned to SWAT and K-9 received additional operational training on a monthly
basis to maintain their required level of expertise and competency.
The Texarkana Police Department has taken the lead in the City’s efforts to bring local government into the information age. Informative and innovative, our website provides crime prevention efforts, monthly activity reports and recruiting information. A perspective employee can now download an initial application from the website. The web address is www.txkusa.org/arkpolice.
