Arkadelphia Police Fight Crime with Vehicle Surveillance System –

By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com

The installation of surveillance cameras on Arkadelphia's main streets is intended to help the Arkadelphia Police Department solve certain crimes.

The Flock Safety system can capture images of the license plates of all passing vehicles and notify the Arkadelphia Police Department when a fleeing or stolen vehicle passes by.

The system will not be used for traffic enforcement. Police Chief Jason “Shorty” Jackson assures citizens that the camera system, which was purchased with a grant from the Ross Foundation, will not be used to alert speeding drivers.

“It looks for specific vehicles that have been identified by state and national crime databases as being criminally active,” Jackson said. The data collected in the system is stored for 30 days and then deleted, the chief said.

The system sends real-time alerts to the APD and alerts patrol officers within 10-12 seconds when a stolen or wanted vehicle is spotted.

In the United States, approximately 5,000 communities use Flock Safety's monitoring solution, including approximately 50 communities in Arkansas. A Fort Smith-area police department was able to use the system to solve crimes ranging from car thefts and stolen license plates to receiving notifications about sex offenders entering the city, according to a 2021 news report from the Arkansas River Valley.

Chief Jackson added that within the first few months of using the system, Sheridan Police were able to locate nine stolen vehicles and two missing children.

For security reasons, the police are keeping quiet about the locations and number of cameras to be installed.

On Tuesday, August 20, 2024, the Arkadelphia Board of Directors officially accepted a $30,750 grant to cover the installation of the system and the first two years of operation.

Improvements at Arkadelphia Airport

In other business, the City Council approved two resolutions to accept Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants for work on a 60-by-60-foot hangar and approach light replacement at Dexter Florence Memorial Field.

The FAA will pay 90% of the total cost of $601,073; the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics will reimburse the city the remaining 10%.

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