LITTLE ROCK — When Newton County Sheriff Keith Slape found he had no money to buy equipment to outfit two new patrol cars, he decided to ask the community for donations.
“We had to [say to the public], ‘We’ve got a car, but we don’t have any sirens or lighting or any way for people to know it’s a police car,” Slape said.
To afford equipment, such as vehicle cages that separate officers from suspects being transported in the back seat, Slape started an “Adopt a Car” program that encourages businesses, organizations and individuals to donate money to the sheriff’s office for patrol car equipment. For a $1,500 donation, a donor can have his name or the name of his business placed on the trunk of the patrol car in 1- to 2-inch nonreflective letters.
Donations are tax-deductible.
“We’re just trying to get our cars equipped,” Slape said.
Since the program started in August, two businesses — Western Grove IGA Deli and H&S Automotive Service near Sand Gap — have donated about $1,500 each to paint and equip both vehicles. And at least one anonymous donor handed Rachel Sisemore, the sheriff’s administrative assistant, a check for about $1,000, she said.
Slape and county officials wouldn’t say exactly how much they’ve received through the program, but it is at least $4,500.
“They donated more than what we were expecting,” Sisemore said.
As of last week, one of the patrol cars had been equipped, and the other was being outfitted, Sisemore said.
Money from the donations also has bought deputies reflective vests, rain slickers, measuring tape for investigating vehicle accidents, tires for patrol cars and flashlights, Slape and Sisemore said.
On Oct. 3, the Newton County Quorum Court approved creating a new fund in the county budget specifically for Slape’s “Adopt a Car” program. All money donated to the program goes into the special fund, not the county’s general fund, Sisemore said. Eventually, the sheriff’s office will keep a breakdown of precisely where the money is being spent so the public can track donations on a monthly basis, she said.
The program, though only a few months old, will help the sheriff ’s office have a better community presence, Sisemore said.
“We want our presence known in the county, and we have to have vehicles to do that,” Sisemore said. “We wanted to appear and present ourselves as professionals.”
Since 2008, the Quorum Court has drastically cut the sheriff’s budget.
Last year, the sheriff ’s budget was slashed about 27 percent, from about $280,000 to $205,000, Slape said.
In 2007, the sheriff’s budget was about $310,000, he said.
This year, Slape said, he had to think of some way to get more money into his office.
“We took a huge cut,” Slape said. “It’s put a strain on everything.”
The cuts have meant no pay raises at the sheriff’s office for at least the past two years, no tires for old vehicles, no equipment, Slape said.
The sheriff’s office is losing deputies who get jobs in counties that pay more, Justice of the Peace Clinton Daniels said. Newton County residents should be concerned about the sheriff’s office and how little money it has, he said.
Arkansas Code 14-14-802 mandates counties fund law enforcement protection services, but the Newton County sheriff’s office continues to receive the brunt of the cuts to the county budget, Slape and Daniels said.
To finish out the rest of this year, the Quorum Court may have to use its reserves to break even, Daniels said. Next year, county officials expect the county to be roughly $42,000 short, ending in the red once again, he said.
“We’re really struggling,” Daniels said. “It’s a good county to live in; it’s just kind of a poor county. We don’t have all the money we need.”
The county’s financial woes are bad enough that justices of the peace are considering raising the millage rate on property, Daniels said. The rate has been 2.5 mills for county general and 1.8 mills for county roads for about 25 years, he said. The state allows a maximum of 5 mills and 3 mills, respectively, Daniels said.
Daniels hopes the Quorum Court will raise the millage rate by at least 1 mill during its Nov. 7 meeting.
That 1 mill would put about $70,000 a year into the county coffers, he said, but Justice of the Peace Jimmy Martin said he worried that residents couldn’t afford an increase.
“There’s no money here. People are really hurting,” Martin said.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 10/31/2011