Coffee with a Cop opens dialogue between public, Bella Vista police

Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Mayor Peter Christie addresses the crowd gathered at the Coffee with a Cop event.
Keith Bryant/The Weekly Vista Mayor Peter Christie addresses the crowd gathered at the Coffee with a Cop event.

Keith Bryant

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Bella Vista police went out for a cup of joe and a chance to talk with the public Thursday morning at Village Bible Church.

Police Chief Ken Farmer said that this was coordinated in part by the Seniors and Law Enforcement Together council, or SALT. This was one of many the council intends to do in Benton County, he said, and the intent is to do one every month in a different city.

Mayor Peter Christie came up to speak before the gathered coffee drinkers and explained that it's important for the department to engage in community outreach like this. These open dialogue (meetings) with the community, he said, can educate citizens and also help the department learn about them -- information which can then make its way to other departments in the area.

Bella Vista has, once more, appeared near the very top of lists of the safest cities in Arkansas, he said.

"That doesn't mean we don't have problems," he said. "We do, but we've also got a very efficient police force."

Farmer said that Bella Vista is, fortunately, a relatively low-risk area, but that doesn't mean his department doesn't have work to do, or that it works alone. The community's willingness to call and work with the police, he said, is extremely important.

Anyone noticing anything unusual or out of place, he said, should give the Police Department a ring.

"We would rather respond to 50 nothings than miss one thing," he said.

One of the most prevalent crimes the city sees, he said, are people stealing things out of cars. In most cases, he said, the cars are unlocked to begin with, and people simply scout out unlocked cars to pillage.

"You'd be surprised what people leave in unlocked cars -- wallets, firearms, computers," he said.

The simplest way to avoid this, he said, is to lock cars and homes.

Another common issue, he said, is fraud, which seems to be on the rise. Anyone who didn't enter a contest, he said, probably didn't win it. Moreover, he said, anyone asking for a fee to collect that prize is most likely pulling a scam.

Drug offenses, he said, are also on the rise. Methamphetamine manufacturing has been decreased as a result of limited access to ingredients, he said, but the department still finds a lot of imported meth, often of higher quality than what might be cooked up locally.

Sex offenses, he said, are also relatively prevalent, and most often committed by someone known to the victim.

Additionally, he said, 2016 saw a lot of automotive crashes, including one fatality. However, he said, having only a single fatality for the year is a good number.

Despite a rise in accidents, the department had a good 2016 overall, he said.

The Torres case, he said, was just resolved, with one perpetrator sentenced to death and another given life without the possibility of parole after a plea bargain.

The department also arrested someone involved in an assault where gunfire was exchanged, Farmer said, as well as an individual who ran away with an under-age girl and a serial child-abuser.

The department also launched its Citizen Police Academy, he said, which has allowed the department to share its work with two groups of people at this point and, ideally, send them out as ambassadors to the community.

The department also continued its Shop with a Cop program, he said, as well as the Night Out in August.

"We've got crime in Bella Vista," he said, "but we're safe in Bella Vista.

He also fielded questions about the department's stance on concealed carry, spotting sexual abuse, what to do when pulled over and getting scam calls to stop -- which he said might not be possible.

One attendee, Lou Christo, said he used to be in law enforcement, and he's signed up for this spring's Citizen Police Academy. Christo said he appreciates the program. He was surprised, he said, to find Bella Vista was recognized as the safest city with more than 20,000 people.

"I enjoyed it," he said. "I think it's a great program, especially for those that want to get involved."

General News on 03/15/2017