LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Residents of a West Little Rock community are pushing back against a police substation being built in their neighborhood.
Barbara Douglas of Little Rock's Pankey community is upset with the city over the design and intention of a new police substation.
"A police station, we don't want it here," said Douglas.
Douglas, a longtime resident of Pankey and the president of the Pankey Community Improvement Association, said 75 percent of residents do not want the substation.
"They never did mention education. That's what the property was designated for. That's why we organized to make sure that we would have an education, multi-purpose center there."
Resident Courtland Harris expressed similar feelings. "They could put a substation anywhere, but in this area. There's no crime."
Douglas claims the property was originally designated for education purposes. According to her, the Community Improvement Association had built an education center on the land, but the building remained empty for more than a decade.
"Why didn't they help put money in this community to finish the building? Why you think my community all it needs is a police station? Is that all you can give me?"
The city does plan to include space for a community center, but Harris believes the two spaces don't belong together.
"Sharing a community center with a police station, that's unheard of. You can't find that nowhere in America," said Harris.
Douglas feels the city took advantage of a depressed area, and that residents will get nothing from the new substation.
"We can work with the city, but we don't want Josephine Pankey's name on a police station."
THV11 did make an effort to reach out to the Little Rock city attorney, but haven't heard back on this matter.
