Riverfest crime drop seen, LR police say

— While attendance numbers have not been compiled yet for last weekend’s Riverfest 2012, crime numbers for the three-day downtown festival were down compared with last year, according to the Little Rock Police Department.

Little Rock police documented fewer than 20 crimes during the festival, ranging from disorderly conduct to disturbances. Little Rock police officer Michelle Howard said that by Sunday evening, the last night of the festival, there were 49 drinking-related offenses.

With the presence of several law-enforcement agencies at the festival, including the Arkansas State Police and Pulaski County sheriff’s office, Little Rock police Lt. Terry Hastings said “it was a good year.”

“We didn’t have anything serious happen and the crowds were calm,” Hastings said. “Everything went according to plan.”

Riverfest spokesman Kelley Bass said attendance and profit estimations were not available Tuesday because the man in charge of ticket sales at Walgreens was out of town. Bass said he expected to have estimates by Thursday. Since many festivalgo- ers purchase three-day passes that are turned in once for a wrist band, knowing the exact number of people who attended isn’t possible, Bass said.

“It’s an imprecise art,” Bass said. “We know everyone doesn’t come back three times. I don’t know the precise formula, but there’s been enough data throughout the years to be pretty accurate in their estimation.”

On Sunday, FBI officials responded to a bomb threat at Riverfest along with the Little Rock Fire Department bomb squad. The threat was called into the North Little Rock 911 center. No one was injured and no suspects were taken into custody. Special Agent Kimberly Brunell said the investigation is ongoing.

“The important thing was that there was no immediate risk to the public,” Brunell said. “We checked the area and no device was found.”

One arrest on third-degree assault charges was made Sunday when Alvin Walker, 27, of Little Rock tried to enter Riverfest through an exit at President Clinton Avenue and Interstate 30, a report said. Riverfest security guard Ryan Childers, 25, tried to stop Walker, who then pushed Childers and tried to hit him, a report said. Another security guard assisted Childers, who put Walker in handcuffs. Walker told Little Rock police officers that he was a volunteer trying to return, but police said he became argumentative and didn’t provide more information, a report said.

Bass said he did not know if Walker was a volunteer.

Riverfest Executive Director DeAnna Korte did not return calls Tuesday after several phone messages.

On Saturday, Lindsey Hastings, 17, of Ferndale told officers she was walking through Riverfest near the Bud Light Stage when an unknown black woman punched her in the face, took an iPhone she was holding and ran away. The phone belonged to a friend and was valued at $200, according to a report.

Hastings, who is not related to the Little Rock police spokesman, had swelling on her right eye and a scratch on her arm, a report said.

Other major offenses included a theft and a warrant arrest, two automobile breakins and three arrests for thirddegree battery.

Last year, police received 50 crime calls, including at least four armed robberies, five thefts and four batteries. A person was shot in the leg outside Riverfront Park after the Nelly concert May 29, 2011. The victim was found outside the Peabody Little Rock Hotel and was treated for nonlifethreatening injuries, according to a 2011 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article.

No one was reportedly shot near this year’s festival when it was open, but Little Rock police on Saturday arrested Hakeem Davis, 19, of Little Rock on charges of carrying a weapon and minor use of force, according to a report.

A witness told a Little Rock officer at Riverfest that a group of black men standing in the area of 300 President Clinton Ave. next to Big Whiskey’s restaurant were arguing and he heard “a handgun being charged,” a report said. As the officer went to look, the men scattered and an officer found Davis in the bushes near Big Whiskey’s. Davis was told to remove his hands from his coat and place his hands on a barricade in front of the restaurant as police did a patdown search.

When an officer felt a “hard object” in Davis’ right pant leg, he tried to place him in handcuffs when Davis lost balance and fell forward with the wobbly barricade, a report said.

Davis was not injured and was arrested without incident. Police recovered a loaded .40-caliber handgun.

Davis also became a victim of a crime when someone broke into his car at the 300 block of Scott Street, a report said. Davis’ grandfather discovered the theft when he went to pick up his grandson’s car Sunday. The left front window was broken and a car stereo had been taken, a report said.

Most of the major incidents happened outside of Riverfest, and Bass attributed this year’s safety to the police presence and “nobody [doing] anything stupid.”

“It was as safe a festival as we ever had,” Bass said.

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 05/30/2012

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