Saving more than $8,000 by both doing the work themselves and hiring Benton County Jail inmates to work, Pea Ridge Police are installing a privacy fence around the storage facility, generator and heating and air equipment for the Pea Ridge Police Department on Slack Street.
"We are working towards becoming a state accredited police department," Police Chief Ryan Walker said. "I think there are only six in the state. It won't happen for another year for us; there's a lot of paperwork involved."
Walker said the fence cost the department $5,500.
Both Rogers and Pulaski County have national accreditation, Walker said, but few departments in the state have the state accreditation. One of the requirements was to fence the heating and air equipment and the generator.
"It just holds us to a higher standard," Walker said. "It shows our residents that we want to be higher than the minimum. It will also provide additional security, hopefully, to deter vandalism.
"We're trying to create a secure place for extra vehicles and equipment," Walker said.
The lot will not be used for an impound lot, he explained, but for a temporary hold for forensic search of vehicles.
"We will still abide by our current wrecker agreement," Walker said, referring to the department's agreement with Erwin Wrecker.
The south end of the building occupied by the Police Department has been occupied by Pea Ridge Pawn since before the city bought the building in 2009. That business will move out by May 1, providing more space to the Police Department.
Walker said the additional space will be used for more evidence storage as well as provide a "safe and secure" place to process evidence including vehicles.
"We will be in compliance with state and federal guidelines" concerning evidence retrieval and storage, he explained.
Pea Ridge Police Department currently has two evidence techs -- Sgt. John Langham, school resource officer, and Sgt. Brandon Davis, detective.
In addition, Walker has added a server room which provides temperature control for the server and will put all of the data in a centralized location.
"It makes everything run smoothly," he said, instead of using 10 different computers, to have the one server. Walker said he studied computers and electrical engineering classes in college (SAU Tech) which provides him with the expertise to wire police cars with sirens, lights and computers as well as work on the computers in the office.
General News on 04/27/2016