![]() Second only to the mayoral hopefuls, the candidates for Pulaski County sheriff took up much of the time and attention at the panel. Scott touted his chief education officer's relationship with the school district and the nearly $1 million spent by the city developing the community school model at Chicot, Watts, Washington and Stephens elementary schools that has now spread to other schools. Landers advocated for further use of the city's community centers to fill in the gaps in education by offering supplemental classes for the city's youth. One of Schwarz's goals, bringing a space program to Little Rock, could be advanced by building an observatory in south Little Rock that would inspire the city's students to learn about space and draw in tourists to view the cosmos, he said. Henderson pledged to be active on behalf of the city's students, saying he would appeal to the state's Legislature to make sure the Little Rock School District got the resources and facilities it needed. Scott, Landers and Henderson all voiced support of tenant rights, pointing to the state's lack of protections for renters, while Schwarz opposed the $500-a-day fine posed by the prepared question on the grounds that it would hurt small renters with just one or two properties.Įach of the candidates had a different approach to education in the city. Pointing to the November ballot issue addressing recreational marijuana legalization, Schwarz called himself "30 years ahead of my time," on the issue of legalizing marijuana. Schwarz offered to help the police staffing issue by legalizing marijuana and halting the war on drugs, freeing up the city's officers to focus on violent crime. The city's residents have a bad habit of addressing the waves of violent crime in the short term but failing to address long-term causes, he said. Landers in an interview with the Arkansas Times called for further use of police dogs and surveillance drones, a move that Henderson slammed earlier last week as "policing through fear."įor his part, Henderson called for continued investment in the community, working to prevent crime at the neighborhood and family level. It was something of a pivot for the businessman best known for his Central Arkansas car dealerships. When it comes to improvements to the police force, Landers suggested putting more officers on bicycles to patrol the community because it puts them in a good position to engage with community members and build a relationship. Neither of the candidates' claims about the department's staff level could be readily independently verified. Landers countered that the city is down 94 patrol officers since 2019, leaving the department "totally understaffed." Little Rock has 520 officers out of 594 permitted by the city's budget, Scott said, putting the force well above the national average. Scott pointed out that the mayor's ability to affect the criminal justice process outside of the city's police force was limited, going on to tout the city's $10,000 sign-on bonus for officers, with an additional $5,000 for those with a house in the city. They were also quizzed on their plans to address climate change and what they thought the city's role should be in education. ![]() The candidates were asked about their support for renters' rights - specifically a $500-a-day fine for landlords that fail to meet living standards - and how they would improve law enforcement in the region outside of simply hiring more police officers. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center on 12th Street.īy contrast, Greg Henderson followed the guidelines of the questions, advocating for renters' rights and proposing a close relationship with the Little Rock School District to ensure the city's children are prepared for their careers.Ī fourth candidate, three-time mayoral hopeful Glen Schwarz, used the questions to segue assertively into his policy goals of ending climate change, legalizing marijuana and bringing a space program to Little Rock. ![]() Scott and Landers stuck closely to their chief platform issue of crime in the city, even if their remarks strayed from the questions prepared by members of the Coalition of Little Rock Neighborhoods, which organized the event at the Willie L. The mayoral and sheriff candidates were among several who answered questions Saturday morning at a panel discussion organized by a group of Little Rock neighborhood associations. "There is no transparency in the Pulaski County sheriff's office right now," Keller said. Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins also defended his record, with rival Paul "Blue" Keller attacking his leadership, transparency and priorities. Crime was a central topic at a candidate forum in Little Rock on Saturday, with Mayor Frank Scott touting his efforts to recruit police officers and challenger Steve Landers contending the force is stretched thin. ![]()
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