Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. and challenger Steve Landers Sr. traded barbs over policing, the idea of closing city parks and a failed festival during a candidate forum in downtown Little Rock on Monday.
Scott argued that Landers was deploying a dog whistle with his suggestion that the Police Department rely on more canines. The mayor also accused Landers of spreading misinformation and false narratives.
Landers criticized Scott for excessive spending associated with his personal security detail. The businessman said that he has received two death threats while running for mayor, and added that Scott has never had a credible threat on his life.
It was the latest forum between the four candidates running for Little Rock mayor during the lead-up to the first round of voting for the Nov. 8 election. In addition to Scott and Landers, Greg Henderson and perennial candidate Glen Schwarz are on the ballot.
Scott is seeking a second term. He became Little Rock's first popularly elected Black mayor as a result of a December 2018 runoff against Baker Kurrus.
If no candidate receives at least 40% of the vote in November, a runoff between the top two will be held four weeks later.
The Central Arkansas Library System, KUAR 89.1 FM and the League of Women Voters of Pulaski County sponsored Monday's forum.
KUAR's Michael Hibblen served as the moderator of the debate-style event. The four candidates stood at podiums and Hibblen questioned them, with the mayoral contenders responding to one another when criticized.
Asked about the recent spike in crime Little Rock has experienced, like other cities nationwide, Landers said, "The mayor's had four years to solve the crime problem and nothing has been done."
He cited an increased number of homicides and robberies this year compared to last year.
Landers referred to a study that he claimed said Little Rock was the most dangerous city in the country; Scott later disputed the accuracy of the numbers Landers was referring to.
Landers said the city ought to work with other law enforcement authorities and have the Arkansas State Police on arterial roads such as Cantrell Road.
The city was down 80 patrol officers as of Friday, Landers argued.
Responding to an earlier line of criticism from Henderson, Landers said he supported trained K-9s, not "attack dogs," as Henderson described them at a forum last week.
In response to Landers, Scott said, "Ladies and gentlemen and Steve, Steve doesn't have a plan."
He added, "Steve said he wants to fund the Little Rock Police Department. This administration never jumped on the defund the police train."
Scott argued that the city had 520 officers out of 594 budgeted positions and said the city had more officers today than during the previous four years.
With regard to Landers' comments on dogs, Scott said, "When you use the word 'dogs,' that's a dog whistle. I want everyone to understand what's going on right about now."
Landers said that all police departments across the country use trained K-9s. "And I'd rather a dog de-escalate a problem than a local city policeman walking in, gets shot in the face by a guy that's got a gun to somebody," he said.
Landers and Scott also clashed over the mayor's security detail. Landers argued the detail has cost $2.2 million since Scott took office, which Scott denied.
Additionally, Scott said that he did not ask for a security detail, calling it another dog whistle.
"Frank, this is not about race, OK?" Landers responded.
The first question of the night went to Landers on LITFest, as Hibblen recited how the proposed festival fell apart.
On Oct. 3, the Little Rock city manager terminated a $45,000 contract with a politically connected firm that had hired Scott's former chief of staff earlier this year. Scott announced on Oct. 4 that the weekend of events set for Oct. 7-9 would not happen.
"LITFest was a bad idea from the start," Landers said, arguing that the festival was "a political rally" for the mayor staged to occur before the election.
"Bad idea, wrong use of city money and the mayor's cronies were involved in the contract being paid -- bad business," Landers said.
Scott said that the city has been yearning for a festival like the now-defunct Riverfest. "I will say, there were some key learnings. There were some mistakes made," Scott said.
If given another opportunity, he will learn from it and bring back the festival, Scott said.
On a follow-up question from Hibblen regarding Landers' suggestion of corruption, Scott said that "if you know me, you know anyone around our team, the word 'corruption' is not even in our definition book."
Candidates also sparred over parks, with Landers forced to play defense after previously floating the idea of reducing parks acreage amid what he described as substandard conditions.
Shutting down parks would negatively impact neighborhoods, Henderson said, arguing that the city ought to double down on its support for parks and explore public-private partnerships.
Scott said each of the city's 63 parks is unique to its neighborhood and community.
He called it "heartless" to think of parks being taken away in areas south of Interstate 630 and east of Interstate 30, areas "plagued" with regard to low-income status and crime. "This is not a business," Scott said.
Responding to his opponents, Landers argued that he never said he wanted to close a park. "What I said is, 63 parks in our city are too many" for the condition they are in, Landers said.
He said he was for recreation for all people and would figure out a way to bring War Memorial Park back. The city closed a municipal golf course there in 2019.
Asked about the proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot in Arkansas this fall that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state, Scott said he fully supported the decriminalization of marijuana as well as other efforts.
Landers cited past experience with reentry programs, but did not take a position on recreational marijuana, describing it as a state and federal issue. "It's for the voters," he said.
Henderson and Schwarz indicated support for the constitutional amendment.
Candidates were also asked about the city's handling of Arkansas Freedom of Information Act requests, which has invited criticism of Scott's administration.
Henderson said that he didn't think anyone in office had tried to hide documents but said that "we can take steps to increase transparency beyond and above what this administration's done."
Scott said his administration was focused from the start on being accountable, clear and transparent. But he acknowledged that "an area of opportunity" was FOIA and records processing, citing challenges associated with staff allocation and time.
He recalled the decision, announced in August, to transfer the FOIA office from the city's Human Resources Department to the city attorney's office.
"Public records are just that -- they're public," Landers said. "There's a lack of transparency in the mayor's office right now."
He pledged to post his monthly expenses online if elected, along with those of other executive staff members, and do away with credit cards in the mayor's office.