Citizens for Credibility & Trust in Little Rock Leadership

The city of Little Rock is at a crossroads. Violent crime and the inability of our city
leadership to effectively deal with it has caused the Governor of the state to take it upon
himself to establish a task force to address the mounting concerns of the citizens of Little
Rock and Arkansas.
At a press conference back in July, a week after the mass shooting at the Power Ultra
Lounge, Governor Hutchinson stated that "the looming cloud of violence harms us all,"
and "if Little Rock is not safe, then we cannot succeed in our goals as a state."
At the same time, our city of Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola insensitively joked about
the shooting and quipped that the reason no one was killed was because the shooters were
bad shots.
Frustration of citizens and police officers with the current state of affairs is at an all-time
high.
Citizens have a lack of respect and trust for police officers that overwhelming choose to
live and raise their families somewhere else other than within the city of Little Rock.
Fittingly donning the title of "mercenary cops.
Chief Buckner has insensitively stated that his officers choose to live outside the city that
they are paid to serve and protect, ironically because of crimes as well as the quality of our
schools. Basically, its a nice place to be a mercenary cop but they sure as hell dont want
to raise their children here with the rest of us.
Overworked and stressed-out officers have mistaken cellphone for guns twice in a months
time, incurring significant additional liability for the city that could outweigh or negate any
potential or intended efforts to curbing and/or preventing crime.
Chief Buckner and City Director Bruce Moore have both stated we cannot police our way
out of this.
Yet, the city has spent approximately $416,464 for costs associated with mandatory
overtime for officers to patrol high crime areas using funds from unfilled police officer
positions. Another $200,000 is projected to be expended by the end of the year for
mandatory overtime.
For several years, the Little Rock Police Department has been understaffed (consistently
60 70 vacant positions) and they spent $120,000 on a consultant to review their officer
recruiting, advertising, selection and hiring process. In September the board approved a
$9,000 payment for a new police recruiting website (yearly fee) which is in addition to a
$36,000 payment for web hosting. Just this week the Board of Directors approved $150,000
to provide public relations, advertising and marketing for the police department. The city
has also spent $198,000 to date in bonus payments to police recruits that complete training
and expects to spend another $229,000 in bonus payments by the end of the year,
The city spent approximately $400,000 on riot gear in 2015; over $250,00 for unmarked
vehicles in June of this year and then over a million dollars for 60 new patrol vehicles in
August. $80,000 for Tasers, $57.000 for a computer-aided dispatch system in August. $255,
000 for 60 new Motorola radios. $273.000 for 60 watch guard video cameras for police
cars. $189, 000 for 60 new Dell laptop computers for police cars, $120,000 for 60 modems
for police cars. $601,000 for a one years extension to the maintenance agreement for the
800 mHz radio system for the police department in October.
The city is also purchasing a building (across the street for the existing police headquarters)
for a new police headquarters at the cost of over $900,000.
Obviously, the city if providing the necessary equipment and means to hire police officers
and provide them with equipment and facilities to do their job and we still have issues, then
we must look at the administration of the police department. LEADERSHIP not funding
or a lack of equipment resounds as most blatant reason for failure at the LRPD. When Chief
Buckner is confronted with this he has no good answers, only threats against those that
dare question his decisions or his authority or attempt to hold him accountable as all public
employees are.
In March of 2015 the Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission (RCDC) met with Chief
Buckner after he stated in a newspaper article that its very well-noted that much of the
challenges that we have with the Little Rock Community lie within our minority areas.
Buckner demanded that the RCDC give him a letter grade on his performance as chief after
a year on the job.
They did just that and he received an "F" grade. The only positive marks he received were
for attending meetings, giving away turkeys at Thanksgiving, and using social media. He
failed on every aspect that involved planning and administrative functions.
Buckner has lost his control & temper at board meetings and even told directors that
questioned his decisions about reassigning officers from the COP program to other posts
was dangerous.
One of the reasons Buckner was selected as chief was his so-called knowledge and
perspective on community policing. Another was his approach to offender re-entry to the
community. Yet, Buckner has contradicted such accolades by complaining in a recent
board meeting about prisoners being dumped into the city.
Black police officers have long complained about discrimination, inequities and
disparaging treatment of minority officers and supervisors under the command of Chief
Buckner.
Their complaints were ignored or summarily dismissed.
After several years of being ignored, the black police officers submitted a plea for the board
to investigate complaints and allegations concerning the chief or hire an outside entity, not
associated with the city to look into the matter.
The board unwisely and oddly turned the matter back over to Chief Buckner, who had
previously stated he would not look into the allegations echoed in their July 5th letter to the
board and his statements of, Im the Chief, resounded as his response to these serious
allegations. He made it clear, backed-up by city manager Bruce Moore, that he had
absolutely no intentions to investigate this matter at all.
Buckner has refused to enforce certain laws and ordinances (curfew because he stated it
doesnt work as well as the avoiding of ticketing law enforcement officers for traffic
accidents and offenses because that is a "practice in other places").
City Manager Bruce Moore often runs interference for Chief Buckner at board meetings
when Buckner becomes out of control, frustrated and unprofessionally lashes out.
Moore has exhibited a lack of fiduciary responsibility in the hastily concocted bonus
program incentives for police cadets, as they are given with no strings attached. He has not
put any stipulations or developed any policy in regard to the bonus program and will not
answer questions put to him about the bonuses.
Two officers that received the bonus left employment shortly after receiving it.
Not having controls in place is unacceptable.
Moore has used poor judgment and made defamatory and reckless statements to the board
in emails.
Both Buckner and Moore have lost the respect and confidence of the public in their ability
to effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities of their positions.
They both must to resign or be relieved of their positions immediately for their blatant and
documented malfeasance and misfeasance. For fostering a spirit of distrust between
personnel and citizens and for an all around lack of ability required from leadership that
this growing city depends upon in these modern times.
There is no other alternative. If this does not happen, further actions from the citizens of
this city can surely be expected in the near future. The citizens of this city will hold all
public personnel and lawmakers accountable for their actions from this point forth. This
matter will not just "go away.":
MARCH 2017- A well-known corruption investigation blog received an
anonymous whistleblower letter detailing information that only the blog publisher,
Internal Affairs and upper senior command would have been aware of at that time,
prompting Corruption Sucks Blog to publish it in its entirety within days of receipt
following due diligence.
The contents of this whistleblower letter exposes the leadership of the LRPD as violating
very serious internal policies as well as criminal & civil rights laws against complaining
citizens in a well-documented fashion.
 MAY 2017- Well-known community activist Rev. Benny Johnson appeared before the
city board to address the issues detailed within the Corruption Sucks Blog
whistleblower letter, as well as other violations of policy, like the Chief appearing in
ads supporting political actions in uniform. He was met with serious resistance and
disrespect by Bruce Moore in a defaming email sent to the board calling Rev. Ben a
liar. Moore unprofessionally refuses to apologize or retract his remarks, even after
being proven to be incorrect in a documented fashion.
JUNE 2017- Well-known community activist Rev. Benny Johnson appeared before the
city board AGAIN, to address Bruce Moore's defaming email claiming that his
accusations were a "lie" and again unprofessionally refused retraction after being
corrected by city attorney Tom Carpenter. He additionally questioned why the
whistleblower letter is still not being addressed. Bruce Moore became belligerent and
confrontative with Big Ben during this meeting addressing public accountability on the
part of Moore and Buckner. Tom Carpenter added that it is a VERY serious violation
for a chief to NOT take a drug test, the same should hold true for an Asst. Chief.
-JULY 2017- After numerous attempts by the Little Rock Black Police Officer's
Association to convince LRPD Chief Kenton Tremar Buckner to investigate the
allegations detailed within the Corruption Sucks Blog whistleblower letter, as well as
for other acts of inequality, they requested that the City Board of Directors look into
these claims of policy and criminal violations. This is in reaction to the Chief
disregarding their complaints by stating he is the Chief and he chooses not to
investigate. Bruce Moore echoed that he supports the chief in his decisions to not
investigate claims of criminal and policy misconduct, lending to the air of corruption.
Supporting Documents
LR police report 4.9% drop in crime in '14 http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/mar/20/lr-police-report-4-9-d...

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LR police report 4.9% drop in crime in '14

By Scott Carroll
This article was published March 20, 2015 at 2:25 a.m. 2

Comments (2) Font Size

A graph showing the crime in
Little Rock.

Police data show crime in Little Rock fell by

4.9 percent last year, a decrease driven by
fewer property crimes in each statistical
category and a significant decrease in
robberies.

There were 16,494 criminal activities that police reported in 2014, down from 17,362 the previous
year.

Mayor Mark Stodola said Thursday during his annual State of the City address that the number of
criminal reports last year was the lowest in two decades.

"It is still too many. However, we are going in the right direction -- down -- in many areas," he said.

Certain crimes tracked by police -- aggravated assault, rape and homicide -- increased in Little
Rock last year. Police Chief Kenton Buckner said the communities most affected by those crimes
remained the same.

"There's no secret that most of our violent acts -- when you're talking about shootings, when you're
talking about these violent assaults and homicides -- are individuals of color, specifically African-
Americans," said Buckner, who is black. "It's very well-noted that much of the challenges that we
have with the Little Rock community lie within our urban minority areas."

Robberies in Little Rock decreased 26.85 percent in 2014, in part because they were higher than
usual the previous year. The were 741 holdups last year compared with 1,013 in 2013 and 862 in
2012. MOST POPULAR
Burglaries fell for a third straight year in 2014, decreasing 14.94 percent from 2,904 to 2,470.
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After hovering slightly above 1,000 for three years, vehicle thefts dropped to 887.
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And there were four fewer incidents of larceny in 2014 than the 10,228 reported the previous year.
21-year-old who died in crash identified as missing
Larceny, or theft of personal property, increased in the police downtown and northwest divisions central Arkansas man - Mobile

last year, but that was outweighed by a 19.8 percent drop in the southwest division. Police: Arkansas residents charged after 1-year-
old's decomposing body found in closet - Mobile
Buckner said he had no explanation for the ebb and flow of certain crime data.
Police: Man nearly severed victim's fingers with
machete near North Little Rock's Verizon Arena
"Because there's so many variables that could potentially be an indicator or an aggravating reason
for some of these things happening, anyone who can tell you that they can point to tangible Arkansas' 3 gas utilities set to raise winter heat
rates
reasons as to why crime went up or crime went down is either naive or they're lying to you.
Because if we understood the patterns of crime -- what caused them, what could be a mitigator, Headless 400-pound tuna found in woods; fish had
to be hauled out of trees with tow truck
what is an aggravator -- then you probably wouldn't need a chief of police to try to manage it. In
most days, the best we can do is to try to keep the environment safe for the individuals who Coroner sees death of Arkansas woman as likely a
dog attack
occupy these areas," he said.

1 of 4 11/1/2017, 10:58 PM
LR police report 4.9% drop in crime in '14 http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2015/mar/20/lr-police-report-4-9-d...

Aggravated assaults -- an attempt or threat to cause serious bodily harm -- increased 3.4 percent
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last year from 1,869 to 1,934. It's the third year in a row that figure has risen.
Arkansas Daily Deal
There were 44 homicides in the city last year, up from 36 in 2013 and equal to the number of
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Most of the homicides involved people who knew each other. Police classified 37 of the slayings as See more Deals

"domestic" or "victim known to suspect." Six of the homicides were robbery-related, while another
six were connected to drugs. Two involved gangs, according to police. Autos
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Circumstances of eight of the slayings remained unclear.
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"The most livable side of our city will say this was a good year," Buckner said. "We decreased crime. Adventure Subaru
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But the areas in the most dangerous part of the city ... there were 44 individuals killed. So I don't
know how you can call that a good year. Because the family that lost a 19-year-old son doesn't feel Real Estate
like we had a good year with our crime." 4005 North Hills Boulevard North
Little Rock, $276,900
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A Democrat-Gazette analysis shows that between 2009 and 2013, Little Rock's crime figures were
higher in most statistical categories than the four American cities closest to it in population. The
data come from the U.S. Census Bureau and the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report.

Akron, Ohio; Fayetteville, N.C.; and Columbus, Ga., each have slightly higher populations than FEATURED JOBS
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Little Rock's estimated 197,357. Amarillo, Texas, is smaller by 928 residents.
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Over the five-year period, each city reported at least 49 percent fewer aggravated assaults; 45 10.31.17 Cabot, AR
percent fewer homicides; 36 percent fewer robberies; and 28 percent fewer larcenies than Little
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Rock.
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Akron was the only city to report more rapes -- 23 percent more -- than Little Rock in that time. It 10.31.17 Sherwood, AR
also reported 10 percent more burglaries.
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Fayetteville reported 15 percent more burglaries, while Columbus logged 10 percent more vehicle SHERWOOD NURSING & REHAB CTR
thefts. 10.31.17 Sherwood, AR

The cities voluntarily reported the statistics to the FBI. Figures for 2014 were unavailable.
Nurses
Four cities in the sampling, including Little Rock, had an average annual household income
between $41,000 and $46,000, lower than the national average. The poverty rate in those cities
was between 17 and 20 percent, higher than the U.S. average.

Akron had the lowest average household income of the group, $33,909 per year. It had the highest
poverty rate, 27.5 percent.

But its overall crime rate was still lower than Little Rock's.

Buckner said he didn't know why Little Rock has seen more crime than comparable cities. Or in
Akron's case, as some criminologists have argued, a city that should be more prone to crime
because of low income and poverty.

"I would want to look at them across the board and see what the police practices are in those
communities, what kind of operational things are they doing," Buckner said. "Are they reactive or
are they proactive?"

Buckner said that Little Rock police fall into the former category. He said the agency is "pretty
much operating from our heels."

"We take a lot of reports and we investigate things after they happen. Very little of our operation is
from a proactive standpoint, which I'm in the process of trying to change some of that... But if you
have no element or significant element of your department that's offensive -- going out into hot
spots, that's going out into hot spots looking for specific individuals proactively before they commit
a crime -- that's when you will see this year, after year, after year of historic numbers that's
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While the numbers don't stack up well against similar cities, they do mirror a steady decrease of Central Arkansas Dentists
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percent since 1991, according to federal research cited by the Brennan Center for Justice.
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The Brennan Center, a public policy institute, released a study last month that showed various
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significant effect.

2 of 4 11/1/2017, 10:58 PM
russracop@att.net

From: russracop@att.net
Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 9:54 AM
To: 'Max Brantley'; 'Matthew Campbell'; Ean Lee Bordeaux
Subject: FW: FOIA| 23 October 2017| LRPD mandatory overtime payments #0994

FYI

From: Prater, Jonathan [mailto:jprater@littlerock.gov]

Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 8:59 AM
To: russracop@att.net
Subject: FW: FOIA| 23 October 2017| LRPD mandatory overtime payments #0994

Mr. Racop,

Below is a forwarded email from Ms. Young. I didnt receive your original request so I hope this is the information you
requested.

Sgt. Jonathan Prater

Administrative Division FOIA Unit
501-371-4678

From: Ford, Michael R.

Sent: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 5:58 AM
To: Prater, Jonathan <jprater@littlerock.gov>
Subject: Fwd: FOIA| 23 October 2017| LRPD mandatory overtime payments

Hello Sergeant Prater,

Mr. Racop requested the information listed below will you handle this for me thanks.

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Young, Colleen N." <cnyoung@littlerock.gov>

Date: October 24, 2017 at 1:02:44 PM CDT
To: "Buckner, Kenton" <kbuckner@littlerock.gov>, "Ford, Michael R." <mford@littlerock.gov>
Subject: RE: FOIA| 23 October 2017| LRPD mandatory overtime payments

The total amount of overtime for the period 8/18/2017-10/13/2017 is $322,016.55. 10/13/17 was the last
pay period end, so I cant provide amounts beyond that date.
1
Additionally, I cant provide exact amounts for the pension cost associated with the overtime. I can give
an estimate. The total overtime with estimated pension cost would be $416,464 for the period 8/18/17-
10/13/17.

This amount seems lower than projected, but we have had people choosing to accrue comp time instead
of overtime. I havent not included those calculations in this amount.

Colleen Young
Administrative Services Manager
Little Rock Police Department
501-244-5470
cnyoung@littlerock.gov

From: Buckner, Kenton

Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 10:03 PM
To: Young, Colleen N. <cnyoung@littlerock.gov>; Ford, Michael R. <mford@littlerock.gov>
Subject: Fwd: FOIA| 23 October 2017| LRPD mandatory overtime payments

Please assist.

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

Your assumptions in regard to the time frame and gross amount are correct./RRacop

From: Carpenter, Tom [mailto:TCarpenter@littlerock.gov]

Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 10:06 AM
To: 'russracop@att.net'
Cc: Moore, Bruce ; Jones, James E. ; Lenehan, Sara ; Strange, Ember ; Witherell, Stacey ;
Buckner, Kenton ; Mann, Bill ; Wisdom, Debbie
Subject: FOIA| 23 October 2017| LRPD mandatory overtime payments
Dear Mr. Racop,

This email is to acknowledge the FOIA request that you submitted to the City this morning.
The specific request is as follows:

Total amount of funds paid to Little Rock Police Officers as a result of the
required mandatory overtime for increased patrols.
The request does not say so, but I assume that this is for the calendar year 2017. Is that
correct?
Also, there is nothing in this request that asks for any identifiers of officers. You merely
wish to have a gross amount. Is that also correct?
Assuming that the answer to both questions I have posed is yes, the response to your
request is due by 25 October 2017. I do not see anything requested that would not

2
constitute a public record pursuant to the Act. By copy of this letter, I have copied the
heads of the various City departments I think may have information on this matter. Please
let me know if you have any questions.
Tom Carpenter
Thomas M. Carpenter
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
500 West Markham, Ste. 310
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
(T) (501) 371-6875 (direct)
(F) (501) 371-4675
(M) (501) 993-1052
tcarpenter@littlerock.gov

3
Options for $5,000 Bonus Upon Graduation from Police Academy

A B C D
Grossed Up for Net of $5,000 Gross Payment of $5,000

If LOPFI If LOPFI
Taxes only Eligible Taxes only Eligible
Gross 7,513.15 8,613.26 5,000.00 5,000.00

Employee Deductions:
Med @1.45% 108.94 124.89 72.50 72.50
Fed @ 25% 1,878.29 2,153.32 1,250.00 1,250.00
State @ 7% 525.92 602.93 350.00 350.00
LOPFI @ 8.5% 732.13 425.00
2,513.15 3,613.26 1,672.50 2,097.50

Net to Officer 5,000.00 5,000.00 3,327.50 2,902.50

Other Costs to City:

City Med @ 1.45% 108.94 124.89 72.50 72.50
City LOPFI @ 29.33% 2,526.27 1,466.50
108.94 2,651.16 72.50 1,539.00

Total Cost per Officer 7,622.09 11,264.43 5,072.50 6,539.00

Cost for eight (8) Officers 60,976.71 90,115.42 40,580.00 52,312.00

Cost for class of 25 190,552.22 281,610.68 126,812.50 163,475.00

Cost for class of 30 228,662.66 337,932.82 152,175.00 196,170.00

Gross City Medicare Total # of Grads

Class 2/2/17 60,105.20 871.52 60,976.72 8
Class 8/1/17 135,236.70 1,960.92 137,197.62 18
U.S., state to help Little Rock tamp violence http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jul/07/u-s-state-to-help-lr-ta...

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Thursday, November 02, 2017, 12:34 p.m.

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U.S., state to help Little Rock tamp violence

Parolees, liquor a focus, governor says
10
By Eric Besson , Scott Carroll
This article was published July 7, 2017 at 4:30 a.m.

PHOTO BY MITCHELL PE MASILUN

The looming cloud of violence harms us all not just Little Rock, but the entire state, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday in announcing a
new anti-crime investigative group.

Comments (30) Font Size

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Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday announced
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that state, local and federal authorities had
formed an investigative force to stem violent Driver dies in crash after losing control of vehicle
on wet Arkansas highway
crime in Little Rock, five days after more than
two dozen people were injured in a shootout at Arkansan found guilty in salvage yard slayings gets
life in prison
a nightclub downtown.
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He said the group will share information and of Oscar-nominated director's new movie
resources to identify and arrest violent Trump to announce Jerome Powell as next Fed
criminals in the city. The Little Rock Police chairman, AP reports
Photo Information Department, the Pulaski County sheriff's office, 22-year-old shot multiple times outside Little Rock
the Arkansas State Police, the FBI and the apartment complex, authorities say
Click here for larger versions Arkansas Department of Community Correction Woman wins $1M, $10,000 on scratch-off tickets in
Photos by Brandon Riddle are among the participating agencies. same day

Those agencies routinely work together on task

forces and criminal investigations, but

1 of 6 11/2/2017, 12:35 PM
U.S., state to help Little Rock tamp violence http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jul/07/u-s-state-to-help-lr-ta...

Hutchinson said "a more focused and

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particularly those convicted of violent
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"The looming cloud of violence harms us all --
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"And if Little Rock is not safe, then we cannot

succeed at our goals as a state."

Victims of Little Rock mass shooting
The shooting Saturday morning at Power Ultra
Lounge at 220 W. Sixth St. -- blocks from Little
Rock's financial district, cultural sites and
tourist attractions -- left 25 people injured by
gunfire. Three others were hurt as screaming
clubgoers rushed for safety. The injured ranged
in age from 16 to 35.

Police quickly reported that the shooting was

Click here for larger versions
not an act of terrorism but a dispute between
people attending a performance by Memphis
rapper Ricky Hampton. The department said
it's investigating whether feuding Little Rock
gangs, which police have connected to
numerous other recent crimes in the city, were
involved in the shooting.

Police on Thursday had made no arrests in the

Community members listen to case and no warrants had been issued,
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Thursday night at Hall High School. Assistant Chief Wayne Bewley said at a news Central Arkansas Beauty Care
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The nightclub shooting is the bloodiest case in Central Arkansas Real Estate
a surge of violent crime in Little Rock.

There had been 1,386 incidents of violent crime -- homicide, robbery, rape and aggravated assault
-- this year in the city as of June 26, up 24 percent from what police reported through the same
date in 2016, according to preliminary data.

City Manager Bruce Moore told Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola and city directors Sunday that "the
performer from Memphis was involved in a feud with another performer and was the shooter" at
Power Ultra Lounge, according to an email obtained by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Moore released the email under the state Freedom of Information Act.

It was unclear Thursday whether the information in Moore's email was accurate. Little Rock police
said Hampton, whose stage name is Finese 2Tymes, is a "person of interest" in the shooting. The
department has not called Hampton a suspect.

Witness accounts of the shooting vary. A man who said he was sitting next to the stage when
Hampton was performing said the gunfire came from the crowd. Others said someone on the stage
was shooting.

2 of 6 11/2/2017, 12:35 PM
U.S., state to help Little Rock tamp violence http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2017/jul/07/u-s-state-to-help-lr-ta...

Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner, in a phone call Thursday, declined to comment on Moore's
email.

"I'm not familiar with the email, nor have I seen the email," Buckner said. "As I stated to the [city
Board of Directors] the other night, the Police Department does not publicly discuss active and
ongoing investigations."

Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Jegley also declined to discuss the email.

"I'm sorry anybody's commenting on anything that has to do with an open investigation at this
point," Jegley said. "I'll have to withhold any comment on that."

Moore, who was appointed city manager in 2002, said in an interview that he was trying to keep
elected officials informed. He sent the email with "Confidential Update" in the subject line and
asked that recipients "not share this detailed information."

"Again, this was an evolving situation," Moore said. "I was also very clear that I didn't want to
interfere with the investigation."

Moore said witnesses who were at the Power Ultra Lounge called him directly to report the
information. He said it did not come from the Police Department.

"There has been multiple reports that there were people firing from the stage," Moore said. "Who
that was, we're still trying to figure out."

Stodola on Thursday confirmed that he received the email but said he has not "corroborated" the
information. The mayor said he has not spoken to any witnesses.

"I'm letting the police do their job," Stodola, a former prosecuting attorney, said. "I have not gotten
any update from them other than the investigation is ongoing, it's very active and they're working a
lot of different leads."

Moore sent the email at 9:58 a.m. Sunday, after federal authorities arrested Hampton in Alabama
in an unrelated case. Hampton, 25, is accused of shooting a woman in a traffic dispute outside a
nightclub in Forrest City in the early hours of June 25. He faces charges of aggravated assault and a
federal charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

An attorney had not been lined up to represent Hampton in the federal case as of Thursday,
according to the U.S. Eastern District of Arkansas' clerk's office.

Authorities also arrested Kentrell Gwynn, 25, according to reports. Moore, in his email Sunday, said
Hampton's "bodyguard" also had been arrested in Birmingham.

Hampton was being held Thursday evening in the Jefferson County jail in Birmingham as a "fugitive
from justice," and no bail had been set, according to the online inmate roster. He is scheduled to
appear in an Alabama district court at 9 a.m. today, according to an online docket.

Hutchinson said at a news conference Thursday that the interagency group working to fight violent
crime in Little Rock will work out of one building.

"There has not been agents and officers from each of the agencies that are co-located in one
location, working side by side in a targeted fashion," he said. "Anyone in law enforcement will tell
you there's no substitute for that ingredient."

Hutchinson, a former U.S. attorney, served as an undersecretary for the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security and as director of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration under President
George W. Bush.

No budget had been set for the group, but Hutchinson said the group's expenses will be monitored.
Hutchinson said the state's Alcoholic Beverage Control Division will enforce closing times and
monitor businesses more closely for beverage violations beginning this week in Pulaski County.

Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay said the state's largest jail will hold those arrested in the joint
crime-fighting initiative.

The jail, which is built to hold 1,210 inmates, has struggled with crowding in recent years and has
closed its doors to all but the most serious offenders on several occasions. It continues to release
inmates accused of low-level offenses before their court dates to control the inmate population.

"I want to assure you that the jail will be utilized to meet the needs of this task force, to meet the
needs of the citizens of Pulaski County and all of law enforcement," Holladay said.

The FBI field office in Little Rock referred questions on the nightclub shooting to the Little Rock

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Police Department, which is leading the investigation.

Special Agent in Charge Diane Upchurch said the agency stands ready to help.

"I think we've all seen enough violent crime in this city," she said.

Little Rock police addressed the nightclub shooting Thursday evening at Chat with the Chief, one of
its annual series of public forums. About 60 people attended the discussion at Hall High School.

One of those people, Stacey Allen, said he's a former gang member who works with anti-violence
programs in Little Rock. He called on other attendees to join their efforts.

"It starts in your home," Allen said. "It starts with you."

A Section on 07/07/2017

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Libertarian says... July 7, 2017 at 7:45 a.m.

Governor is traveling the world, trying to entice investors and businesses to look at Arkansas, and
then this happens. You know he's going, "D@$*it!"

4 of 6 11/2/2017, 12:35 PM