By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
The Criminal Nuisance Abatement program is a new tool being used by the Forrest City Police Department to remove criminals from the city, by some means that go beyond arrests.
The program, which was started by Paul Suskie, the North Little Rock City Attorney, uses civil lawsuits to attempt to remove criminals from their homes by declaring them as a "nuisance" to the city.
Under the program, civil lawsuits are filed against criminals for selling drugs and conducting other criminal activities. Suits can also be filed against owners of rental properties for allowing criminals to continue conducting illegal activities after they have been notified.
Lieutenant Eddie Adamson of the FCPD stated that the program uses existing laws, ordinances and codes to accomplish the goal of removing criminals from Forrest City.
"Mayor (Larry) Bryant first heard of the program and asked Mr. Suskie if he would talk to us in August. All of the agencies attended, and we agreed with the mayor that this was something that Forrest City needed," Adamson said. "It is a crime displacement program. We want the criminals to move from Forrest City."
Bryant talked about Criminal Nuisance Abatement.
"I heard about the program at the Governor's Housing and Development Seminar. I thought it was something that would help us work with our various agencies to deal with these problems. The police, fire department and city attorney, along with other city agencies, are all involved in using this as a civil solution to crime.
"The goal is to eradicate as much crime as we can. It is a tool for us to help make the city safer and to make sure that citizens know their rights. This is the beginning, and we are taking baby steps with the program, but the goal is a safer city," Bryant added.
"The purpose of the program is to get drug dealers and other nuisance criminals to relocate," said Adamson. "We will give a notice to criminals that we can prove they are selling drugs and that they must vacate the property in five days. That is whether they own the property or not. On the sixth day, in addition to charges (that may include 'unauthorized use of property to facilitate a criminal act' which is a class B felony if they are renting), we will file a civil lawsuit for them to vacate. If they have not vacated, or filed an appeal, in another five days, as soon as a judge signs the papers, we will physically remove them.
"Also, if a property owner does not want to remove a resident, we can pursue them with a lawsuit as well. We don't want to do that, and we urge owners to take advantage of our help. If they have a person wanting to rent from them, do a background check. They can also contact us at the department. We will be more than happy to provide them with information on people wanting to rent or even those renting from them now. All that information is available through the Freedom of Information Act.
"And it is not just drug dealers in private homes or rental properties that we are pursuing," added Adamson. "We are pursuing other nuisance crimes as well."
FCPD Chief Clarence McNeary talked about the scope of the program. "The benefit to the city is that we will get rid of some of the nuisance houses in our neighborhoods. Basically, any crime such as gambling, prostitution or any alcohol-related crime that is ongoing.
"We get a lot of nuisance complaints, and many times it is to the same house for the same type of offense. The criminal courts can only do so much. This civil pursuit is another arrow in our quiver."
McNeary also stated that homes are not the only properties subject to the abatement. "Businesses are also looked at. If we see violations of any kind, such as fire code, health code, etc., we will pursue that as well."
Adamson said, "If we go into a house or business and see what we think are unsafe things, like exposed wiring, we will call the fire department or whoever is qualified to make that judgment about a code violation and cite them. We can even cite people for violations of the city lawn maintenance ordinance. If a person or business is a nuisance, we will use whatever we can to make them correct what is wrong or have them moved.
"They will also have time to correct the problem, but if it is not corrected after reinspection, they could have their property shut down until it is. If it takes it, we can even cite them for violations of the city ordinance on lawn maintenance.
"We want to let people, especially business and rental operators, know that we want to help them clean up their property and get them to where they need to be. They can come by the department and we can schedule an inspection for them. We want to improve the city with this, not to shut businesses down. From a law enforcement standpoint, most people are out on the street after being arrested before the paperwork is done on their arrest. We want them not to have a place to go back and sell drugs again.
"In the long run, it will benefit property owners and save them money," added Adamson. "An example is this is when a property owner rents to a person who has been charged with 15 counts of criminal mischief for tearing up property at the last place he lived. If the owner knows ahead of time about that, it can save him money. Also when a criminal nuisance moves into the neighborhood, whether it is a drug dealer or a rowdy bar, it hurts the area. More of that activity is likely to move in after that. Rental owners will benefit from having their property in better neighborhoods. Citizens will benefit from not having loud music and disorderly people walking around at all times of night near their homes."
Both McNeary and Adamson said that they are very pleased with the program. According to Adamson, in its first month of operation, three abatements were served through the program. Only one abatement required a civil suit, but the party moved the day after it was filed.
By DAVID NICHOL
T-H Staff Writer
The education reform plan unveiled today by Gov. Mike Huckabee was not a total surprise to state Rep. Danny Ferguson, who said no matter what happens, the Legislature has a tough job ahead of it.
Huckabee's plan suggests a minimum limit of 425 students in grades 9-12.
"The media in the last couple of days have sort of alluded to it," said Ferguson, referring to the 425-student limit. "I'm anxious to see his plan and read it."
He said there were many opinions of what should be done, but "to tell you what we've really got to do to satisfy the Supreme Court, you can talk to five attorneys out there and get five different opinions."
A Dec. 8 special session is still tentative, and Ferguson said it would give legislators only a short time to solve two huge problems -- how to bring the state's public education system into compliance with a state Supreme Court ruling, and how to pay for it.
Ferguson does not sit on the Education Committee, which will attempt to hammer out the education reforms. However, he does sit on the Revenue and Taxation Committee, which will have to make proposals on how to raise the revenue to pay for those reforms.
"It's going to be really a juggling issue," he said. "What if you go to the Legislature, and pass a school reform bill, and then can't get the price tag through Revenue and Taxation? It is definitely going to be a pressure cooker."
While the issue of consolidation is fierce, Ferguson said the issue of supporting small districts may also get fierce.
"If you let all the school districts continue, and you require them all to meet certain standards, then you're setting yourself up to have to fund all the districts to meet those standards," he said. "So, do you give a small district enough money to hire a calculus teacher for two calculus students? If the answer is yes, then the tax increase will be higher."
Ferguson said his feeling is that if there is a special session, there will be at least three school reform bills filed, which will be hashed out in the Education Committee.
"I think at that point you may see some consensus on reform," he said, while admitting, "you may see a total loggerhead, where nothing passes."
If something passes, he said, "Then, the Revenue and Taxation Committee, which I sit on, can start exploring ways to raise money...If you come in with a billion-dollar tax increase, you may have a taxpayer revolt. Who knows?"
He said the other, far extreme is something that has been mentioned only part-jokingly.
"There have been stories about passing a constitutional amendment that just takes out of the Arkansas Constitution the part which says the state must furnish an adequate and equal educational system," he said.
"That would fix the problem. That would also make Arkansas the educational joke of the nation."
According to figures from the Arkansas Department of Education, the Forrest City School District has 1,092 students in grades 9-12, which would keep it above the proposed minimum.
However, several other schools in the area fall below the 425 minimum student population in those grades, these include Hughes (245) and Palestine-Wheatley (216) in St. Francis County; McCrory (192) in Woodruff County; Cross County (228) and Parkin (136) in Cross County,
Wynne (844) in Cross County and Lee County (495) are also above the minimum.
Veterans of World War II and the Korean War who entered the military service prior to achieving a high school diploma are getting a second chance.
The Forrest City School District is searching for veterans in St. Francis County who may qualify for an honorary high school diploma. The diplomas will be presented during the annual Veterans Day observance program at the Mustang Arena on the Forrest City High School campus.
"It is also our purpose to give an honorary diploma posthumously to those who were killed in action during World War II and the Korean War or have since deceased," said SFC Veterans Service Officer Henry Haven.
Haven said anyone who thinks he or she may qualify, or knows of someone who might qualify for the diploma, should contact one of the following event organizers: Haven, 633-3095; Tammy Siler, 633-1485; Phyllis Russell or Judy Murray, 261-1806; or the St. Francis County Judge's office at 261-1700. The deadline to submit names is Nov. 1.
The Veterans Day program will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11.