PINE BLUFF -- Most violent crimes in Pine Bluff have been on a downward trend over the past year, according to recently released statistics from the Pine Bluff Police Department, but two recent high-profile occurrences have some in the city asking if more can be done to keep residents safe.
On June 30, 26-year-old Andrew Lawson was critically wounded after being kidnapped, beaten, shot and run over by a vehicle while skateboarding at an Olive Street McDonald's.
No arrests have been made, though police have identified one of three suspects they believe was involved in Lawson's attack. Deundra Harris, 21, was identified as a suspect after security camera footage of the events was released by a business owner, police said.
According to a police report, Lawson was forced into a vehicle in the McDonald's parking lot about 1:30 a.m. on June 30 and taken to a nearby area behind Jefferson Square Shopping Center.
There, surveillance cameras filmed Lawson being beaten, shot twice and struck by his attackers' vehicle. Lawson is expected to recover from his injuries, authorities said, noting that if it had not been for the cameras, none of his attackers would likely have ever been identified.
Days later, on July 5, an investigator with the Jefferson County sheriff's office was involved in the shooting of a man outside Swann's Bar & Lounge on Pullen Street in Pine Bluff.
Randy Jackson, an eight-year veteran of the force, was immediately placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting. He resigned Friday, the sheriff's office said Saturday.
According to a sheriff's office news release, Dedric Jones, 36, suffered a single gunshot wound in his chest outside the nightclub during an altercation. A witness called 911, and police were dispatched about 3:30 a.m., according to a news release.
An ambulance took Jones to Jefferson Regional Medical Center, where he underwent surgery. According to Maj. Lafayette Woods, Jefferson County operations commander, he has been released from the hospital. The sheriff's office has not determined whether Jackson, who was uninjured, acted while on or off duty, Woods said.
In a separate investigation, a Jefferson County prosecutor will decide if the evidence warrants criminal charges against Jackson.
The building where Swann's Bar & Lounge is located has been at the center of violence before.
Walter Ashley Jr., 38, died after being shot in the chest after 3 a.m. outside the nightclub -- then known as III Gables -- in November 2011. Two other men were shot but survived.
Last week, the Pine Bluff Police Department released its most recent crime statistics, which showed all major crimes except robberies have gone down over the past year. Still, the most recent bouts of violence are creating a buzz around the city.
Patricia Bach said news of Lawson's beating made her fearful for her 22-year-old son, who is also a skateboarder.
"If you can't go out in public and expect to be free from kidnapping and attacks, then there is something gravely wrong," Bach said.
"This isn't a war zone, this is a small town in Arkansas. It wasn't like the McDonald's was closed when this happened. It is a 24-hour restaurant. I just don't understand how something so violent can happen."
Bach said she "isn't interested in public relations numbers from the police department. Crime may be [down], but what happened to this young man is beyond any statistic. It's horrifying."
Police department data shows the overall reported crimes are down from 3,160 at this time last year to 2,593 this year. The number of murders is down by one this year at eight; there were nine at this time in 2013. Rapes and attempted rapes are down from 31 through July 2013 to 23 so far this year.
Aggravated assaults are down from 198 in July 2013 to 183 this year. Robbery is the only category that has seen an upswing, with 80 reported so far this year, compared with 74 at this time in 2013.
Pine Bluff Police Chief Jeff Hubanks has attributed the decline in crime, which began shortly after he was hired last year, to new policing methods, such as beefed up patrols in high-crime areas and outreach programs to previous offenders who are now back on the streets and at risk of committing.
But the Rev. Jesse Turner, an anti-crime advocate and community developer, said he believes more needs to be done.
"The numbers indicate crime is down in Pine Bluff. However, the City Council needs to provide the police department with the tools to sustain the present reduction in crime," Turner said. "Tools like stop-and-frisk and zero tolerance for law breakers."
Turner said that he would also like to see the city focus on tearing down abandoned homes and businesses that are scattered throughout Pine Bluff.
"Dilapidated and abandoned houses are magnets for crime, and there are some on the City Council who refuse to take a stand to remove such blight," Turner said.
"Pine Bluff needs a stiff ordinance to address old and abandoned buildings in the downtown area. The view from the outside makes Pine Bluff look like it is a crime-ridden city. Until the city officials and community say 'enough is enough,' the perception will remain."
Over the course of her first two years as Pine Bluff's leader, Mayor Debe Hollingsworth has pledged to clean up the city's blighted areas and make it more attractive to potential new residences and businesses. She, like Turner and others in the city, have linked blight to crime.
Pine Bluff Alderman Glen Brown, a staunch advocate for revitalization of the city, said he "will work until my last breath to make sure this city is the best it can be, and that it is crime-free."
"There is no reason why we can't be the No. 1 city in this state and the brightest star. Trust me when I say that I will never stop working toward that goal."
State Desk on 07/14/2014