A year after Horseshoe Bend disbanded its Police Department and used Izard County deputies to provide law enforcement protection, aldermen have voted to extend the agreement for four years.
The contract was set to expire this past Wednesday, but the eight-member City Council renewed the contract through Dec. 31, 2018, and will pay the office of Izard County Sheriff Tate Lawrence $245,000 a year for the services.
"It's worked super," said Horseshoe Bend Mayor Bob Barnes. "We've had more police visibility in town now. Our people are tickled to death over how well it is working."
That wasn't the case in July 2013, when aldermen discussed eliminating the six-member Horseshoe Bend Police Department to save about $90,000 for the city of 2,184. The department operated on a $304,000 annual budget, and Barnes said the city needed to buy a new police car each year for about $27,000.
More than 150 residents crowded into City Hall during a July 2013 city Finance Committee meeting and expressed concerns about doing away with the police force.
Several said they feared that disbanding the department would result in more crime.
But since Izard County sheriff's deputies took over patrolling Horseshoe Bend in summer 2013, people have been satisfied.
"We've not received any complaints about it," said Victoria Bigness, an administrative assistant to the mayor. "People say officers are readily available. I've heard nothing but good about it."
Batesville contracted with the Independence County sheriff's office for 30 years before creating its own police force in December.
Barnes said aldermen unanimously voted to renew the contract for four years.
"Some were worried about this last year," he said. In 2013, two of the eight aldermen voted against disbanding the Police Department.
"But I knew what we were getting," Barnes said. "It's worked well."
Lawrence raised the yearly cost of providing the protection from $240,000 to $245,000.
When the Horseshoe Bend Police Department closed, Lawrence hired two of its police officers as deputies. Two deputies now live in the town, and the county patrols the city 24 hours a day. In the past, Barnes said, there were times when none of the city officers was patrolling for an hour or two a night.
"Everything has gone smoothly," said Bonnie Rush, an assistant to Lawrence. "We've not had any trouble adding Horseshoe [Bend] into our patrolling."
Deputies also assist with funeral processions in Horseshoe Bend and check on elderly residents who sign up for Telecare, a phone service that calls people daily to ensure their safety.
"A lot of people were skeptical in the beginning," Barnes said. "But now they say, 'Why didn't we do this a long time ago?'
"It's worked well enough for us to give them four years."
State Desk on 01/03/2015