10- Freedom of Information Act

Recently THV11 reported about a former Jacksonville police officer facing charges for allegedly stealing drugs from confined evidence. Allegations are now being raised about one of the department's K-9s and a recent shakedown of employees. Two weeks ago Arkansas's highest court ruled that Geoffrey Herweg could not serve as Jacksonville's acting police chief any longer. Herweg has been in question for nearly a year due to a prior conviction. Since then officers have been coming forth left and right with information that could be vital to freeing several inmates due to procedural wrongdoing. The recent investigation of the Jacksonville force is thanks to none other than City Councilwoman Tara Smith.

She is the councilwoman responsible for suing Jacksonville over Herweg who was found to have a criminal record. Smith is now saying that a former Jacksonville office came to her with concern about an officer and his K-9. All of this is happening days after Smith suit was decided and Herweg was forced to step down as acting police chief. Jacksonville has no shortage of drama currently as the former chief of police Sipes now the spokesperson for the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police has issued a "vote of no confidence against the City's Mayor, Gary Fletcher, and City Attorney, Robert Bamburg who is also acting police director at the moment.

This vote of no confidence comes after the City Attorney turned police chief sent out an email saying changes were going to be made in the department. Sipes feels as though residents should be concerned because officers are being transferred to other departments without the proper training which he thinks could jeopardize future cases. In the current environment that we are in [with] the incidents that have occurred across the nation, he pulled the [school resource officers] out to put two in that are inexperienced, and don't want to be SROs,” Sipes said. “It takes a special person to be a school resource officer."

Out of 80 positions at JPD, only 55 are filled, and Sipes expects more departures because of the transfers.

Both Sipes and Smith say they don't believe this situation would be unfolding if the mayor had appointed an officer instead of the city attorney to lead the police force.

"A good leader is going to admit when he makes a mistake. We don't have that," Sipes said. "We don't have a leader that can admit that mistakes were made and try to correct those mistakes. Try to heal rather than seek retaliation."

Via: http://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/jacksonville-councilwoman-alleges-k-9-officer-worked-without-certification/91-532634877