CCSO to add patrols to Kingdom City Nov. 2

In an effort to add police presence and cut down on issues such as panhandling, trespassing and speeding, the Kingdom City Board of Trustees has worked out a trial partnership with the Callaway County Sheriff's Office to have the latter organization do patrols through the village starting Nov. 2.

For now, CCSO Sheriff Dennis Crane said that patrols would vary in hours and days until data could be collected and analyzed specifying when officer presence was most necessary. For the time being, the arrangement will be treated as an overtime project with rotating officers.

"Kingdom City has approached us wanting to contract about 20 hours a week, mainly on evenings and on busier days," said Crane. "They'll pay the county for overtime it would cost for the officers, so what they'll basically do is the county will pay it out and the bill will be sent to (Kingdom City.)"

Crane said CCSO has a software system in place to monitor when calls come in for Kingdom City, and that hopefully after two to three months they would be able to figure out the most optimal times to have an officer present.

"The way we've got it set up right now is four hours for each officer, and some have volunteered to work overtime... the bottom line is priority here comes first for the county if something major goes on, but these are their time scheduled off."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.