BENTONVILLE -- Mayors Bob McCaslin of Bentonville and Greg Hines of Rogers, along with Bentonville Police Chief Jon Simpson and Rogers Police Chief Hayes Minor, sent a memorandum detailing complaints against the Sheriff's Office to the county's justices of the peace Monday in advance of a meeting to interview applicants for interim sheriff.
The mayors and police chiefs weighed in Monday with concerns about the operation of the Sheriff's Office in recent months. In a memo to the justices of the peace the city officials cited three accidents involving civilians in Bentonville since October resulting from deputies operating their vehicles at high speeds, sometimes exceeding 100 mph.
What’s next
Benton County’s justices of the peace will finalize their choice for interim sheriff when the Quorum Court meets at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Quorum Courtroom at the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.
Source: Staff report
"These instances are chilling, and, if this behavior continues, it is not a matter of if, but rather when a citizen is killed as a consequence," the city officials said in their memo.
The city officials also cited four "sting" operations by the Sheriff's Office in Rogers this year, with the most recent happening Friday. The memo detailed an operation Feb. 3 resulting in a high-speed chase and an accident; a second in which deputies were reported speeding through Rogers' neighborhoods in a search that also included a helicopter; an April 21 operation that resulted in a high-speed pursuit; and an April 22 operation at a Rogers business resulting in shots being fired.
"These operations again result in serious citizen concerns and an overwhelming number of calls to our law enforcement agencies with little or no meaningful information being shared by the deputies involved," the memo states.
The mayors and police chiefs said there are many deputies who are doing good work at the Sheriff's Office, but "some individuals and units within that office are demonstrating reckless behavior further complicated by a continuing lack of leadership."
The city officials asked the justices of the peace to discuss their concerns with anyone they might name as interim sheriff.
The justices of the peace endorsed Meyer Gilbert for the job of interim sheriff Monday. With all 15 justices of the peace present and voting, Gilbert received 10 votes.
"I have a lot of confidence in the Quorum Court to put their faith and confidence in someone completely unbiased and who has only been in this area for a few years," Gilbert said. "I believe they are looking out for the best interests of the Sheriff's Office and the people of Benton County."
Benton County officials interviewed eight candidates for interim sheriff at Monday's meeting. Former sheriff Andy Lee and former sheriff Keith Ferguson submitted letters of interest in serving as interim Benton County sheriff, as did Lynn Hahn, a major with the Sheriff's Office, and Robert Bersi, who retired last year as a captain with the Springdale Police Department. Johnie Wood of Bentonville, Gilbert of Siloam Springs, Joseph Fabits of Bentonville and John D. Concoby of Rogers completed the list of candidates.
Each candidate was given five minutes to make a presentation and then questioned by the justices of the peace for 10 minutes. After a 30-minute public comment period the justices of the peace took up their consideration of the candidates. The committee agreed to require a majority of eight votes from among the 15 justices of the peace for any candidate to be considered for the job.
Sheriff Kelley Cradduck faces a felony charge he tampered with a public record and a misdemeanor tampering charge. He's set for a three-day jury trial in September, but a hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Quorum Court has already approved paying Cradduck nearly $80,000 to resign. The figure is roughly equal to the salary and benefits he would have received if he had worked through December, which is the end of his term.
Cradduck was defeated in the Republican primary. Shawn Holloway, who until recently was a major at the Sheriff's Office, won the nomination and will face Glenn Latham, an independent candidate, in the November election. Neither candidate is eligible to serve as interim sheriff under state law, according to George Spence, county attorney.
NW News on 04/26/2016