The 2004 Annual Report is one of many resources the police department provides to the citizens of our community. Our primary goal in preparation of this report is to reflect back on our activities last year and evaluate the effectiveness of the police department in controlling crime and delivering professional service within the limitations of our budget.
Last year the police department responded to 40,576 calls for service in the 42 square mile area of Texarkana with 5 police officer positions frozen, due to reductions requested by the Board of Directors and one officer serving inIraq. This reduced our authorized strength well below the 81 officers the 2004-2005 Texarkana Community Profile as published by the Chamber of Commerce lists as the authorized strength for the City of Texarkana, Arkansas Police Department. Two of the frozen positions were eliminated in the 2005 budget and three patrol officers are still frozen as we start the New Year. The Mayor has promised to try and put these positions back in this year’s budget. I want to again remind the Board of Directors we did not receive the 5 promised officers after the 1999 annexations and the Fire Department received 9 additional firefighters.
I anticipate dealing with a tight budget and personnel shortages again in 2005. I told the Board of Directors in 1999 that I would continue to provide the best level of service I could with the resources I had, but I could not do it indefinitely. In looking back at our calls for service prior to our annexations, we answered 33,348 calls for service with an average response time of 4 minutes 21 seconds in 1999. Our call load has increased by over 7,000 calls and response time by an additional 2 minutes since 1999. Our “average response time” to calls for service continued to increase from 5 minutes 24 seconds in 2003 to 6 minutes 12 seconds in 2004. Our average response time during the month of December 2004 was 8 minutes 13 seconds and has been climbing.
Our sister agency, the Texarkana, Texas Police Department patrols 27 square miles with an authorized strength of 98 officers. While we share common communications, records, jail, and some specialized units, we cover almost a third more territory placing additional wear and tear on our equipment with increased response times due to the large rural areas annexed into the City in 1999.
This was an exceptionally challenging year for your police department. We faced several significant challenges that had a direct impact on the morale of our officers and our ability to focus on answering calls for service with limited resources. Last year the city failed to maintain “police pay parity” with Texarkana, Texas police officers for the first time since approval by the voters in 1995, with a base pay difference of 3%. It goes without saying the officers are discouraged by the City’s inability to resolve this issue. We have also seen an increase in the number of officers leaving the agency in the last nine months. Staffing levels required the patrol division to answer calls for service without an officer assigned in every beat last year. The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) for Texarkana had increases in almost every category this year. Our Violent Crime Index, which includes Criminal Homicide (+66%), Rape (+23%), Robbery (+18%), and Aggravated Assault (+34%) increased by +32% over last year. Our Property Crime Index, which includes Burglary (+25%), Larceny-Theft (-4%), and Motor Vehicle Theft (-42%) increased by +2% over last year.
This year’s fiscal year budget is basically the same as last years with no changes in our operating line items other than increases to cover a partial salary COLA, fringe benefits, and the cost of gasoline. The police officers association has indicated to me they are ready to take legal action to deal with the pay parity issue if it is not resolved by mid-year after making significant concessions to the City to help them find the funds to increase salaries by an additional 3% in July of 2005. I am willing to take the money out of my self sufficiency funds to make up the shortfall until such time as the City’s financial situation improves.
Last year our department was very fortunate in receiving 3.9 million dollars for a City/County pilot radio project to determine if radio communications and interoperability first responder problems could be corrected through seed money to upgrade our radio infrastructure and purchase new portable and mobile radios as part of the Arkansas Wireless Information Network commonly called the AWINS Project. A state of the art computerized firing range became a reality after many months of hard work and a site change on South Stateline Avenue. The Criminal Investigation Division received a new crime scene van through a shared purchase with Texarkana, Texas that saved both cities 50% of the purchase price of this specialized piece of equipment. The COPS CIS (COPS IN SCHOOLS) grant provided two full-time paid police officers to work on the TASD School campuses at North Heights Junior High and Arkansas Senior High for 3 years at 100% of the officer’s salary. We additionally were awarded a COPS Secure Our Schools grant in the amount of $90,000 for security upgrades to the new Arkansas Senior High School through a 50-50 match between the TASD and COPS Office. A number of federally funded grants, 2004 LLEBG, DWI, BVP Body Armor, Domestic Violence, Metro Narcotics Task Force, and THA Housing Authority were all renewed or extended last year.
Although last year was a challenge for the officers and civilian staff of the police department, our police officers delivered police services to the citizens and community in a courteous professional manner with several officers on extended medical leave and 5 frozen positions. I am exceptionally proud of their professional attitude and ability to make Texarkana a safe place to live work and raise a family their number one priority. As your police chief, I can tell you this is not always the case in many cities throughout the United States and we are exceptionally fortunate in Texarkana Arkansas to have a professional police department that fosters excellent relationships with our citizens, the media, and other law enforcement agencies.
Bob Harrison
Chief of Police
| 2004 | 2003 | Difference | % Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calls for Service | 40,576 | 41,593 | - 1017 | - 2% |
| UCR Crime Index | 1904 | 1829 | 75 | 4% |
| Citations Issued | 3504 | 4183 | -679 | -16% |
| Warnings Issued | 2336 | 3383 | -1047 | -31% |
| Arrests Made | 3517 | 3873 | -356 | -9% |
| Warrants Received | 2049 | 2098 | -49 | -2% |
| Warrants Served | 2238 | 2078 | 1840 | 7% |
| Animal Service Calls | 3430 | 3259 | 171 | 5% |
Staffing continued to be a difficult issue for the Police Department in 2004. At the end of the year, the Department’s staffing deficit consisted of:
In addition to these vacancies, the Department had two (2) officers and one (1) civilian on extended medical leave, intensifying the effects of the staffing shortfall. One member of our Department remains on active duty with the United States Army in Iraq.
The Police Department continues to seek funding from federal, state and local grants. Grants funds have been a valuable source of funding commissioned positions since 1990. Economic conditions resulted in a reduction in the amount of grant funds available last year. The city received two new DOJ COPS grants that will enhance security at the new Arkansas High School that is under construction and two (2) School Resource Officers through the Department of Justice Cops in Schools (CIS) grant. One of our SRO’s is assigned at the Senior High School and one at the Junior High School. There is no cost to the city or school district for three years. TASD #7 will pick up funding at the end of the grant period.
PERSONNEL ACTIONS:
Retirements: Captain Calvin Seward
Promotions:
Captain: Lt. Shawn Vaughn
Lieutenant: Sgt. Doug Avery
Sergeant: Cpl. Bobby Jordan
The Texarkana Police Department is divided into four divisions which work together to provide quality law enforcement to the citizens of our community.
Captain Shawn Vaughn commanded the patrol division in 2004. The Patrol Division provides the uniform police services to our community and is the front line in protecting our citizens and combating crime. As such, Patrol is the largest division, with a staff of 3 lieutenants, 7 sergeants, and 41 patrol officers. The division is divided into three shifts, and the Special Operations Section, providing continuous police service. The authorized patrol strength was reduced by five patrol officers during 2004 due to a reduction of two officers and three frozen officer positions that were not filled.
Patrol Officer’s are on duty seven days a week covering 3 shifts. Our police officer’s strive to ensure that Texarkana is a safe place to live, work and raise a family. This requires devoting time during each shift to talking with citizens in their patrol area. Building trust with citizens in their beats allows officers to be alert for issues that may lower the quality of life in a neighborhood. Officers work under the philosophy that the beats they work are their personal responsibility and take pride in keeping our neighborhoods crime free and safe.
The Patrol Division responded to over 40,000 calls for service in 2004. This is a substantial increase over the 1999 pre-annexation total. In addition to answering an increasing call load, the geographic area of the city has doubled in size since 1999 to 42 square miles. This has strained our ability to provide a prompt response time to police calls for service to report violent crime or simply ask for information.
The Special Operations Unit is attached to the Patrol Division for routine operations, but is a valuable resource for additional manpower needed during emergencies. Special Operations is staffed with a sergeant and eight officers. Each officer is assigned a primary assignment, such as K-9 or traffic enforcement that they perform on a routine basis. Special Operations officers are a resource for supplementing manpower needs in other divisions. Our two COPS CIS School Resource Officers are assigned to this unit.
Captain Mark Lewis commanded this division in 2004. The Criminal Investigation Division is staffed by a lieutenant, 2 sergeants and 12 detectives. The Criminal Investigation Division consists of four units Crimes Against Persons Section, Property Crimes Section, Crime Scene Section, and the Metro Narcotics Task Force.
The Criminal Investigation Division investigated approximately 3,200 UCR Part 1 Offenses in 2004. This included 3 Homicides, 48 Robberies, and 364 Burglaries. The division maintained an average clearance rate of 57%, which is far above the national average.
The Crimes Against Persons Section investigates all crimes of violence, including, homicide, rape, battery and robbery. Within this section are two units for investigating crimes involving specific types of victims. The Domestic Violence Unit, which is grant funded investigates all offenses involving domestic violence and assists the victims of these crimes. Our two Juvenile Detectives specialize in the investigation of offenses involving juvenile victims or offenders.
The Property Crimes Section investigates burglaries, thefts, forgeries and other non-violent crimes involving property. Property crimes make up the majority of crimes within our city, and the detectives in this section are responsible for a clearance rate above the national average.
The General Case Detective is assigned to investigate misdemeanor offenses, assists with other investigations, District Court security, assists victims in filing misdemeanor affidavits in District Court, and follows up with citizen requests made to CID.
The Metro Crime Scene Section supports the other sections through the collection and processing of evidence. This section is a combined unit with the Texarkana Texas Police Department. Detectives in this section are highly trained and make use of advanced technology in the collection and preservation of evidence, fingerprint comparison, crime scene diagramming, and case preparation.
The multi-jurisdictional Metro Narcotics Task Force is made up of investigators from Texarkana Arkansas, Texarkana Texas, Miller County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bowie County District Attorney’s Office. The task force focuses enforcement efforts on the manufacture and sale of illicit drugs and narcotics. Methamphetamine currently is the most available and troubling challenge confronting our narcotics enforcement efforts. In 2004, this unit made 167 drug related arrests and seized over $950,000 in illegal drugs.
Captain Glenn M. Greenwell commanded Services Division in 2004. Services Division provides administrative and logistical support for the three operational divisions of the department. Services is staffed with 1 lieutenant, 1 sergeant, 3 officers, 6 civilian support personnel, and 2 animal services officers.
The Services Division is responsible for a wide variety of administrative, logistical, and support functions. The division contains a number of highly skilled officers and civilian staff with advanced training and specialized technical skills that are required to provide support to the Chief of Police, Texarkana Police Department, Civil Service Commission, and our community.
The Personnel & Training Section is responsible for the recruitment, selection and testing of applicants, and in-service training for all officers and civilian staff. The Public Information Section coordinates communication between the department and the media, as well as coordinating events in the community, public information/education programs, and crime prevention.
The Computer Services Section administers the department network and mobile data systems in the police cars, and is critical in bringing up the new records management system. We are especially proud of our website and it updates weekly as our needs change.
Grant administration, budget coordination, docket preparation, internal affairs, radio communications, and fleet maintenance are among the many support services provided by this administrative division of the department.
The Animal Services Section is staffed by 2 civilians, who are responsible for all calls relating to animals within the city. They work closely with the Texarkana Animal Shelter and in Texarkana, Texas Animal Control Section. Animal Services is available to respond to emergencies 24 hours per day 7 days a week. 
Captain Ernest Keck was the commander in 2004. The Central Records and Communications Division provides communication and records support to our agency, as well as most of the public safety agencies in Texarkana, Texas and Bowie County. The CRC Division has a staff of approximately 50 employees. CRC is a joint venture, funded by the Cities of Texarkana Arkansas and Texas, as well as Bowie County, Texas.
Central Records & Communications is plays a very important role as the life line to our citizens and police officers.
The Law Enforcement Advisory Committee (LEAC) provides direction and establishes policy for the division and supervises the division commander. A Texarkana, Texas Lieutenant currently serves in the capacity as an Assistant Commander with primary responsibility for the communications section of Central Records & Communications.
The records section serves as the central repository for all law enforcement reports. They processed approximately 24,000 reports in 2004. The communications section is the 9-1-1 answering point for Texarkana & Bowie County, and CRC handled 125,000 9-1-1 calls in 2004. While CRC also dispatches police and fire calls, EMS calls are immediately transferred to LifeNet Emergency Ambulance Service communications center.
Detective Bobby Furr was selected by his peers as the Officer of the Year for 2004. He was recognized by Police Chief Bob Harrison and Rotary Clubs of Texarkana Arkansas and Texas. We are extremely proud of his accomplishments last year. Detective Furr’s diligence, tenacity and skill investigating frauds and identity crimes resulted in a substantial increase in arrests for fraud and identity crimes. Detective Furr has been a member of the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department since December 1991, and serves in the Patrol, Services, and Criminal Investigation Division.
2004 was an outstanding year for our department. The following is a snapshot of some of the noteworthy events last year.
Our department continues to one of the best educated in the state. With four officers receiving the Educational Achievement Award this year for completing their bachelor degrees. Five members of the department hold Masters Degrees and three more officers are enrolled in graduate school at Texas A & M - Texarkana. Fifteen percent of our officers have earned a bachelor’s degree, and we have many officers currently working towards obtaining a degree.
Lt. Dwight Mowery was selected to attend the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia in July of 2005.
Supporting our community is important to the members of our department. Officers donated their time and money to reach out to our community through the following department sponsored or supported events: Battle of the Badges charity football game, Shop with a Cop Christmas shopping spree for underprivileged children, and the Cops and Kids Christmas with the children at the Texarkana Baptist Orphanage and Watersprings Ranch for Children. Members of the department are also involved with Special Olympics, Race for the Cure, United Way, and many other community focused events.
Construction of a state of the art police firing range, comparable in utility and function, if not scale, to those available at the FBI & DEA academies.
The Texarkana Police Department conducted a technology exercise with DNR Electronics last year. One of our police cars was equipped with state of the art emergency lights, mobile data computers, video cameras, and mobile radios at no cost. The car was featured at the IACP convention last year.
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 2004, we experienced a 4 % increase in our total crime index. The largest increase can be found in violent crimes, while property crimes decreased. From a historical perspective, we know that criminal indexes tend to be cyclical. Historically, periods of economic downturn have resulted in a rise in the crime rate. In addition, a number of external factors that are outside of local control, such as prison overcrowding or early release of criminals, can influence the crime statistics.
| Offenses | 2003 | 2004 | Crime Trends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Homicide | 2 | 3 | 33% |
| Forcible Rape | 17 | 22 | 23% |
| Robbery | 36 | 44 | 18% |
| Aggravated Assault | 187 | 285 | 34% |
Violent Crime Index |
242 | 354 | 32% |
| Burglary | 250 | 332 | 25% |
| Larceny-Theft | 1193 | 1134 | -4% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 144 | 84 | -42% |
Property Crime Index |
1587 | 1550 | -2% |
Total Crime Index |
1829 | 1904 | 4% |
| Simple Assaults | 877 | 862 | -2% |
Expenditures remained within overall prorated limits for all police budgets during FY2004. Our vehicle maintenance costs were down from the high of 2001, and the purchase of several new patrol vehicles in 2004 should allow expenditures in 2005 to remain within limits. The total vehicle maintenance expenditures for FY2004 were $68,384.
The Police Department continues diligently seeking alternative funding sources to continue providing our citizens with the effective and professional law enforcement that they have come to expect. With the increased emphasis on Homeland Security issues, fewer grant dollars are available for law enforcement efforts. However, federal, state, local and private funding resources have provided over $3 million dollars of grant money to support our enforcement efforts. Additional officers and civilian personnel, state of the art technology, additional equipment and training opportunities are available to serve our community as a result of these funds.
Expired 12/31/2004. Pays one half of purchase cost of bulletproof vests for officers. 2005 BVP is pending approval.
Expires 10/28/05. Pays the full salary and fringe for a civilian warrant/complaint officer and the salary for a part-time civilian fleet maintenance manager. The federal amount is $34,417 and the local match is $3,824.
Expires 06/30/05. Pays salaries for five personnel in the Bi-State Narcotics Task Force. This is a metro task force consisting of TAPD, TTPD and MSCO personnel.
Renewed on 10/01/04. Pays the full salary of a police officer to investigate all cases involving violent crime against women and a police liaison position. The state amount is $74,814, and the local in-kind match is $24,938.
Expires 09/30/05. Pays overtime for DWI, speed, and occupant protection enforcement. We submitted and received approval of our request for an increase to $66,000 in FY 2005 funding starting on 10/01/2004. Local match is 50% in-kind
Expires 12/31/04. 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 Texarkana Housing Authority property.
Texarkana Arkansas and Miller County have received a $3.9 million dollar radio/communications grant to upgrade City/County radio communications equipment and infrastructure. This will allow radio communication interoperability between Police, Fire, EMS, Sheriff, public works, water department, and other first responders.
Expires 03/31/2007 Funds two (2) police officers for assignment as School Resource Officers. One SRO will be assigned to Arkansas High School and one at North Heights Junior High School.
| Call Priority | YTD Number of Calls | YTD Number of Calls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 106 | 115 |
| 2 | 1,307 | 1,359 |
| 3 | 10,091 | 10,680 |
| 4 | 2,740 | 2,880 |
| 5 | 23,980 | 21,572 |
| 6 | 3,369 | 3,970 |
| Totals | 41,593 | 40,576 |
| Average Response Times | 5:24 | 6:23 |
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 | 155 lbs | $ 299,705 |
| Methamphetamine | 1.5 lbs. plus 10 illicit labs | $ 251,320 |
| Cocaine | 15.7 lbs. | $ 288,360 |
| Crack cocaine | 2 lbs. | $ 138,714 |
| Codeine tablets | 33 doses | $ 220 |
| Ecstasy / MDMA | 2 doses | $ 40 |
| Soma | 6 doses | $ 66 |
| Adavan | 4 doses | $ 40 |
| Total street value of narcotics seized: $ 978,465 | ||
| Arrests and cases files by investigators: 167 | ||
| Search warrants executed: 36 | ||
Methamphetamine continues to be a problem in our community. This is consistent with the national trend. One factor supporting the proliferation of “meth” is the ease of manufacture and availability of the required components. The number of labs seized continues to increase, from 2 in 2002 to 10 in 2004. 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. Methamphetamine is only one of the illicit drugs in use in our community. Marijuana and cocaine continue to be an issue in our city, and ecstasy is becoming more common. Combating the drug problem continues to be an important priority of our department, with a focus on interdicting the incoming supply of drugs and the money that supports trafficking.
Training is a critical component of maintaining a professional and effective police department, and is a priority with our agency. Texarkana police officers received a total of 6,624 hours of quality in-service training during 2004. Courses covered a wide range of areas, from the basic police academy to highly technical subjects such as forensic analysis. Officers assigned to specialized positions, such as SWAT, received frequent operational training to maintain their skills and expertise at a high level of competency.
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 3,430 calls in 2004. This is a notable increase over the number of calls in 2003. Both our Animal Services Officers are certified in their field and in euthanasia techniques.
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, press releases and recruiting information. A perspective employee can now download an initial application from the website. The web address is www.txkusa.org/arkpolice. Some off the information from our website can be seen on the local government access television channel to increase community awareness and recruit qualified members of our community for service with the department.
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