More drug cases in Jacksonville could be impacted by accusations of wrongdoing by police.
After we reported about a former Jacksonville police officer facing charges for allegedly stealing drugs from evidence, concerns are being raised about one of the department's K-9s and a recent shakeup of employees.
Nearly two weeks ago, Arkansas's highest court ruled that Geoffrey Herweg could not serve as Jacksonville's police chief. He'd been in limbo for nearly a year because of a prior conviction. Since then, former and current police officers have come forward with information about a procedural wrongdoing that could lead to drug dealers walking free.
"We can't operate K-9 officers without certification,” said City Councilwoman Tara Smith.
She is the councilwoman that sued Jacksonville over its latest police chief, who was found to have a criminal record.
Smith said a former Jacksonville officer came to her with a concern about a K-9 officer.
"The narcotics certificate for K-9 Alex expired on November 8, 2016 and the State of Arkansas narcotics certification expired in June of 2017," she explained.
Despite that, she said the K-9 and its handler continued to work through December of 2017.
Photos were posted to the police department's Facebook page on November 30, 2017 from the handler's retirement party with a press release announcing her departure.
"Therefore, it is my understanding, any drug sweeps or arrests that have been made by K-9 Alex would now be in question,” Smith said.
She has filed two FOIA requests for the dog's latest certifications, but she said the documents haven't been provided.
According to Smith, the officer that told her about the situation is no longer at the police department.
“There’s no place for retaliation in the City of Jacksonville," she said. "I don’t think it should be tolerated. And it needs to stop."
All of this is happening days after Smith’s suit was decided by the Arkansas Supreme Court and the police chief had to step down.
"It's not easy to manage a police department,” explained Gary Sipes.
Sipes was Chief of Police in Jacksonville for 6 years. He's now the spokesperson for the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police, who issued a "vote of no confidence" against the City's Mayor, Gary Fletcher, and City Attorney, Robert Bamburg, who is also acting police director.
That vote of no confidence came after an email was sent by Bamburg to officers telling them transfers were going to be made. The email went out last Thursday and the new assignments went in to effect Sunday.
Sipes told us that he thinks Jacksonville residents "absolutely" have a reason to be concerned about the police department.
He said officers are being transferred to other departments without 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."
Mayor Fletcher declined to be interview.
Bamburg has yet to respond to a request for information on K-9 Alex and department departures.
Neither Fletcher nor Bamburg has agreed to an interview in the weeks since Chief Herweg was forced out.