The Southern Standard: Gurdon, Clark County Sheriff’s Office hammering out police agreement

By JOE MAY | The Southern Standard

In the wake of the suspension of Gurdon’s three full-time police officers by the state, an agreement with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office is being drawn up to insure coverage for the city.

According to Mayor Larry Thomerson, an interlock agreement between the city and county has been drawn up by the Arkansas Municipal League and County Attorney Todd Turner that will formalize the relationship between the two governments. The document will be presented at the next meeting of the quorum court for approval as well as the Gurdon City Council. Once approved, it will set the prices for fuel and other expenses used by the county to patrol the city.

Thomerson said that Chris Russell and Toby Garner, both of whom were full-time officers for the department, are still doing some work for the city, but not in a law enforcement capacity. A hearing slated for early November will determine their certification status as well as that of elected City Marshal Don Childers.

Thomerson noted that the county is using their own vehicles to patrol the city. GPD cars are not currently in use by law enforcement, he said. Thomerson praised Sheriff Jason Watson for his assistance in making sure the city has law enforcement coverage. 

“Sheriff Watson has been very kind and gracious to provide for the people of Gurdon,” the mayor said. “He has bent over backwards for us.”

Watson, asked about the agreement, said that officers are actively patrolling the city and will continue to do so until the situation is resolved.

“I hate that this all happened,” the sheriff said. “It’s an unfortunate circumstance, but we will do anything we can to provide coverage for Gurdon citizens and their property. The city of Gurdon’s safety is our responsibility.

“It’s been a task because we were short-handed before this happened, and we only had a few hours to prepare. I’ve got one person out on medical leave and another at the academy. I’ve even been out patrolling myself, but it’s my responsibility,” he continued.

Arkansas law allows cities of the second class and incorporated towns to have an elected city or town marshal. Gurdon is thought to be among the last cities in the state with an elected city marshal. The Central Arkansas city of Bauxite, in Saline County, has a marshal service. A comprehensive list of every Arkansas municipality with an elected marshal is not publicly available.