HOT SPRINGS -- Hot Springs Police Chief Chris Chapmond has tendered his resignation, effective Jan. 27, City Manager Bill Burrough confirmed Thursday.
Burrough said Chapmond is taking another job. He couldn't disclose where, but he said an announcement could come as early as today. Burrough said he'll begin the search for a new chief next week and name an interim chief before Chapmond departs.
"I have confidence in our Police Department and staff," he said. "This is truly a loss for our community. I wish Chief Chapmond much success in his new endeavors."
Chapmond couldn't be reached for comment by presstime. He was hired in June 2020 to succeed former Chief Jason Stachey, who retired in May of that year. Chapmond served as Stachey's assistant chief before becoming chief of the police department in Bluffton, S.C., in the summer of 2018.
He was a 22-year veteran of the Hot Springs department before he left for South Carolina.
Burrough selected Chapmond from a field of 30 candidates spanning more than a dozen states, telling The Sentinel-Record in June 2020 that Chapmond's local roots set him apart from the other two finalists.
"One of the things Chief Chapmond brings to the organization is he's already developed relationships within the community," Burrough said after announcing Chapmond's hire. "This isn't just a place or a job for him, this is his home.
"I know what kind of work ethic he has, and it's very strong. I think being the chief of police in another community has helped him grow. I think he's going to be a great police chief for the city of Hot Springs."
Chapmond didn't mention his resignation when he addressed the Hot Springs Board of Directors at the end of its agenda meeting Tuesday. He told the board the Police Department had been awarded two grants from the $216 million the state received as part of the $26 billion settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.
He said a $400,000 grant the department will receive over two years will pay for an opioid investigator and peer recovery specialist. A $25,000 grant will pay for naloxone, the nasal spray used to counteract an opioid overdose. The director of Arkansas Opioid Recovery Partnership will present the city with a check at the board's business meeting on Tuesday.
"You guys worked a long time on that," Burrough told Chapmond. "We appreciate your efforts."
Chapmond often pointed to the reduction in crime since he took the reins of the department, referring people to statistics the department updated monthly on the city website to measure the success of the strategic plan it started in 2021.
Based on reports officers entered in the department's record management system, violent crimes reported last year fell more than 7% compared to 2020. Property crime fell more than 9% over that time. Homicides fell from 15 in 2020 to five last year.
"Ask Little Rock if they'd like to see that," Chapmond told residents last month at the District 4 safety meeting. "These decreases are pretty impressive when you're seeing increases across the country."