- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ýLR hosts law enforcement seminar about effective crisis leadership

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 19:41:37 +0000

Law enforcement officers from throughout Arkansas have the chance to hear from a police official who led the officer response to the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri, during an Aug. 29 workshop at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The law enforcement workshop, “Effective Leadership in a Crisis Situation,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 29, at the ��Vlog��ýLR Donaghey Student Center. The main speakers include Jon Belmar, chief of the St. Louis County Police Department, and Brig. Gen. Gregrey Bacon, deputy adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard. ��Vlog��ýLR Chief of Police Regina Wade-Carter, U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer of the Eastern District of Arkansas, and Little Rock Black Police Officers Association President Melvin Vester will give opening remarks. The workshop will cover the socioeconomic conditions leading to unrest in Ferguson, the lack of training and department readiness in a crisis situation, and the role of politicians in high-profile situations. On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in, a suburb of St. Louis. The shooting prompted protests that lasted for weeks. On Nov. 24, the St. Louis County prosecutor announced that a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. The decision set off another wave of protests. In addition, the speakers will discuss the lack of training and department readiness in a crisis situation, and the role of politicians in high-profile situations, the role and negative effects of media and social media in a crisis situation, the behavior of officers during a crisis, and strategies to evaluate physical and emotional effects on officers. The ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Public Safety, the Little Rock Black Police Officers Association, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas are co-hosting the event. Law enforcement officers may register for the workshop at the. For more information, contact Paulette Chappelle, law enforcement coordinator specialist for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas at 501.340.2677 or paulette.chappelle@usdoj.gov. More information about Chief Belmar: Belmar was appointed chief of police Jan. 31, 2014. The St. Louis County Police Department serves a population of more than 1 million, employs nearly 1,100 people, and has budget of more than $113 million.

Chief Jon Belmar

He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Arkansas State University. Belmar attended the FBI’s Hazardous Device School at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, where he was certified as a bomb technician in 1997. Belmar began his career in the Affton Southwest Precinct in 1986 as a patrolman. He also served in the South County Precinct and the Tactical Operations Unit before his promotion to sergeant in 1995. As a sergeant, he served in the West County Precinct as a watch supervisor, until he was selected to run the department’s Arson and Explosives Unit in 1996. In 1998, he was promoted to lieutenant and remained within the Division of Criminal Investigation as the commander of the Bureau of Crimes Against Persons. He was promoted to captain in 2004, when he became the commander of the Affton Southwest Precinct and later a captain in special operations. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2013 and named the commanding officer of the Division of Special Operations. More information about Brig. Gen. Bacon: Bacon was named the deputy adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard in May 2016. He serves as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the adjutant general. Bacon, a native of Pine Bluff, enlisted in the Arkansas National Guard in 1985. He received his commission in 1990 after attending Officer Candidate School at Camp Joseph T. Robinson in North Little Rock, where he received the Honor Graduate and Distinguished Honor Graduate awards. He has over 25 years of military service in field artillery, including deployments during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2007 and 2008. Bacon has held various assignments in the Arkansas National Guard, including aerial recon officer, battery commander, force integration and readiness officer, recruiting and retention commander, and army chief of staff for the Arkansas Army National Guard. ��

��Vlog��ýLR student lands Secret Service internship

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:13:58 +0000

When Micah Parker started at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he dreamed of going into state government. After a few semesters of criminal justice courses and two internships with local police, Parker is now pursuing a career in law enforcement. He took a major step in achieving that goal by earning his “dream internship” of working with the United States Secret Service. “Ideally, I would like to go into federal law enforcement because I have never been farther west than Oklahoma,” said Parker, a junior from Sheridan, Arkansas, majoring in criminal justice and minoring in information technology. “I would like to travel and see the world, and also affect the world in a positive way.” As an intern with Arkansas’s only Secret Service office in downtown Little Rock, Parker primarily sorts through evidence for counterfeit money cases and looks for counterfeit bills. “I was thinking I would just answer phones, but they have me sorting through counterfeit notes,” he said. Not everyone knows that the Secret Service has a dual mission. The agency was established in 1865 as a bureau of the Treasury Department to suppress the widespread counterfeiting of U.S. currency. After President William McKinley’s assassination in 1901, the agency was tasked with protecting the president, vice president, their immediate families, foreign heads of states, and others. During his sophomore year, Parker got his first taste of law enforcement work by interning with the ��Vlog��ýLR Police Department, where he went on ride-alongs with police officers and assisted detectives with putting together case reports. In the fall 2015 semester, he interned with the Little Rock Police Department, where he rotated between different divisions every two weeks. His rotations covered the crime scene specialist unit, the northwest, southwest, and downtown patrol divisions, the 911 call center, the 311 call center, and the downtown station, where police personnel pull documents for people appearing in court. “This internship was a lot of fun and very eye opening,” Parker said. “When you imagine a police department, all you imagine are the patrols. You don’t see all the other work that goes on behind the scenes.” In addition to his internships, Parker works as a residential assistant, has served as president and sophomore ambassador of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps and chief justice of the Student Government Association, and is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity.�� In order to work for the Secret Service, an agent conducts a background investigation to determine if the person in question is eligible for top secret security clearance. Having a U.S. Secret Service agent come to the dormitory to talk to the neighbors and the boss might seem like an unusual experience to most college students, but Parker found it somewhat humorous. “The agent traveled around to my previous employers and family members and asked about me. She even asked my neighbors about what they have seen me do, which was a little funny,” Parker said. “It was a long, hard process, but I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders when it was finished.” Brian Marr, special agent in charge at the Secret Service, said that the agency is looking for interns who have diverse attributes who can also hold multiple responsibilities. “It’s a competitive process,” Marr said. “We are looking for someone who is doing well in school, has an interest in federal law enforcement, and is an outgoing individual.” “Our agents investigate a wide variety of federal violations regarding our��investigative mission, as well as those also associated with our unique and high��profile protective responsibilities. We, the Secret Service, want someone who can��investigate a criminal violation today, and then stand next to a president or foreign dignitary the next day,” Marr said. Parker plans to continue interning with the Secret Service until he has completed his education and then seek full-time employment with the agency. After he graduates from ��Vlog��ýLR in May 2017, Parker plans to pursue a master’s degree in criminal justice through ��Vlog��ýLR. Any student who is interested in interning with the Secret Service can visit or call 501.324.6241 for job opportunities.

Arkansas Prescription Drug Take Back at ��Vlog��ýLR

Gloria King — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 21:05:41 +0000

The ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Public Safety is participating in the Arkansas Prescription Drug Take Back from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Drop off your expired, unused, or unwanted medications for safe and environmentally clean disposal. The ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Public Safety is located in University Plaza, 2801 S. University Ave., Suite 700. Because of the public demand after the federal program, The National Take Back Initiative, was discontinued, the state of Arkansas has permission to host its own prescription drug pickup and disposal. Agents will take the medications after the event and accompany the National Guard to Huntsville, Ala., for final destruction. Help make a difference in your community to get unwanted and unused drugs out of the hands of Arkansas youth while keeping our environment clean. Prescriptions may also be dropped off at a local law enforcement agency around the state. Some sites may have extended hours. To find a location near you, visit .

Public Safety sets Drug Take Back Initiative collection record

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 18:44:46 +0000

The ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Public Safety collected a record 105 pounds of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs as part of the ninth annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative. ��Vlog��ýLR police officers hosted a collection station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, to dispose of prescription drugs in a safe and ecologically sound way. The ��Vlog��ýLR station was one of hundreds across Arkansas where residents may bring medication to ensure it remains safely out of reach of children and potential abusers. The free and anonymous service was part of an initiative hosted through the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration each year. There is also a year-round drop box inside the department for those who could not make it out for the event. During the event, residents could drive up and drop off medications without getting out of the car, said ��Vlog��ýLR Detective Sharon Bowles Houlette. Law enforcement is the only entity legally authorized to receive substances from citizens. ��Vlog��ýLR police remind residents that flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash poses a potential safety and health hazard. For more information about the ��Vlog��ýLR collection station, call 501.569.8797.

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Rave Guardian hits app store shelves

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 19:35:47 +0000

The Department of Public Safety is encouraging students to turn their phone into a personal safety device this week by downloading the free app ��Vlog��ýLR Guardian. Much like a guardian who provides protection, the app helps a student to check in with family, friends, the public safety department, or others, to ensure he or she is safe on campus. ��

Learn more about ��Vlog��ýLR Guardian

With the ��Vlog��ýLR Guardian safety app, students may set a safety timer to notify those they trust to check on them if they are alone or in an unfamiliar place, and to message family, friends, or others, as needed. The app also provides an easy and convenient way to contact safety officials directly for help and send officers text tips, including photos, if suspicious activity is being noted. ��Vlog��ýLR Guardian is available for download under the name Rave Guardian in the App Store for iPhone in the Google Play store for Android devices. For more information, contact Officer Jennifer Lusk at jssibley@ualr.edu or 501.683.6599.

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Little Rock police officers training for bicycle patrol

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 21:17:43 +0000

Department of Public Safety reintroduced bicycle patrols last fall, Lt. Johnny Smith, alongside his bike, became a visible presence in and around the campus. Now Smith — who himself trained at a one-week course given by the International Bicycle Association — will help Little Rock Police Department officers prepare for their own bike patrol. The training started Monday, Sept. 15, and will continue until 4 p.m. today, Sept. 17, on the ��Vlog��ýLR campus. “We will probably have 10 to 12 officers in attendance,” said ��Vlog��ýLR Interim Police Chief Regina Wade-Carter. “I am proud that the LPRD asked our department to train their officers.” For ��Vlog��ýLR, the bike patrols have been part of a larger safety initiative that included new university police substations throughout the campus, including a substation in the Donaghey Student Center, currently under construction. Bicycles cost less to purchase and maintain than traditional patrol cars, and because bikes run on human power rather than gas, their carbon footprint is much smaller than patrol cars. In addition, bike patrol officers tend to be healthier and more physically fit,. For more information about the LRPD’s decision to train for bicycle patrol, contact the LRPD at 501.837.6414. September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month at ��Vlog��ýLR. For more information, go to “Serious about Safety.”]��>

��Vlog��ýLR encourages public to dispose of medications Sept. 27

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:14:22 +0000

Area residents will have the opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs as part of the ninth annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative. ��Vlog��ýLR police will host a collection station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, so that prescription drugs may be disposed of in a safe and ecologically sound way. The ��Vlog��ýLR police are located in the ��Vlog��ýLR Plaza at 2801 S. University Ave., Suite 700. The ��Vlog��ýLR station is one of hundreds across Arkansas where residents may bring medication to ensure it remains safely out of reach of children and potential abusers. The free and anonymous service is part of an initiative hosted through the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration each year. There is also a year-round drop box inside the department for those who cannot make it out for this event. The initiative is quick and easy, according to ��Vlog��ýLR Detective Sharon Bowles Houlette. Residents may drive up and drop off medications without getting out of the car. Law enforcement is the only entity legally authorized to receive substances from citizens. ��Vlog��ýLR police remind residents that flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash poses a potential safety and health hazard. For more information about the ��Vlog��ýLR collection station, call 501.569.8797.

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Public can drop off unused meds April 26

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 15 Apr 2014 14:17:19 +0000

The ��Vlog��ýLR Department of Public Safety will give the public the opportunity to rid their homes of potentially dangerous, expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs as part of the annual “National Take Back” initiative. ��Vlog��ýLR police will host a collection station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26, so that prescription drugs may be disposed of in a safe and ecologically sound way. The police station is located in the ��Vlog��ýLR Plaza at 2801 S. University Ave., Suite 700. (see campus map). The service is free and anonymous. In 2013, ��Vlog��ýLR turned in several pounds of prescription drugs. The state of Arkansas turned in more than 18,000 pounds of drugs. ��Vlog��ýLR police are reminding the public that disposing of unused medications by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash poses a potential safety and health hazard. The ��Vlog��ýLR station is one of hundreds across Arkansas where residents may bring medications to ensure it remains safely out of reach of children and potential abusers. The initiative is quick and easy, according to ��Vlog��ýLR Detective Sharon Bowles Houlette. Residents may drive up and drop off medications without getting out of the car. Law enforcement is the only entity legally authorized to receive substances from citizens. Houlette reminds residents that there is also a year-round drop box inside the department for those who cannot make it out for this event. For more information about the ��Vlog��ýLR collection station, call 501.569.8797. Subscribe to E-News��to see what’s happening at ‘��Vlog��ýLR Now.’

Behind the Badge: Detective Tonya Soule

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 18:02:39 +0000

NOTE: This is the third in a series profiling officers with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Office of Public Safety. As chief investigator for ��Vlog��ýLR’s Department of Public Safety, Det. Tonya Soule’s many duties include being in charge of the property room and evidence room, as well as scouring police reports to resolve them in a timely manner. But it is being able to help affected victims that she most enjoys. “It’s nice to be able to give them comfort,” Soule said, “to let them know we’re working for them and maybe get them restitution.” Soule’s career path has taken a few twists since she took her first job in law enforcement to get “her foot in the door.” ��She started as a dispatcher in the Perry County Sheriff’s Office in��2005. “I was going to school for radiology,” she said, with a smile. “I thought that was my passion. I took a criminal justice course, and the rest is history.” She went to work for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2007 and was later hired as a patrol officer at ��Vlog��ýLR in 2010. “I heard a lot of great things about the department here … I knew a lot of the officers, they were good people, and I knew ��Vlog��ýLR had a strong criminal justice department,” said Soule, who is enrolled as a non-traditional student at the university. “I love my professors. They are very knowledgeable, and they try to accommodate my sometimes hectic work schedule,” she said. “It helps that much of it is online.” Soule is also active as president of the Little Rock Aikido Club, a ��Vlog��ýLR registered student organization that focuses on the Japanese martial artform. Aikido emphasizes the dynamics of movement as opposed to purely punching or kicking. She said she hopes to graduate by December 2014, adding that although she feels strongly about her educational pursuits, it is her job that keeps her focused. For example, she is involved in ensuring that evidence and case files are up to standard, as outlined by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Soule hopes the evidence room reflects even more organization and efficiency as she seeks ways to improve operations under her management. Soule’s dedication has not gone unnoticed. The University District Neighborhood Association recently recognized her with the award for the ��Vlog��ýLR Public Safety Officer of the Year. The association annually recognizes one officer from ��Vlog��ýLR and one from the Little Rock Police Department for outstanding service to the district. Bob Adams, ��Vlog��ýLR’s vice chancellor of finance and administration, said he wasn’t surprised at Soule’s selection. “She often takes the initiative to search for better ways of enhancing our public safety programs,” he said, adding that Soule “approaches sensitive issues in a professional manner and brings a keen level of expertise to all her assignments.” But for Soule, the honor was unexpected, especially since she is the first to admit that often law enforcement is not at the top of the list as a person’s favorite agency. “Very rarely does the public hear about the many positives of law enforcement officers and the good work they do,” she said. “I was not expecting the recognition, but to be nominated is an honor in itself.” Soule concluded, “It’s a big deal on the one hand. On the other hand, it is humbling to be recognized for just doing your job.”]��>

Behind the Badge: Detective Sharon Houlette

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 00:36:57 +0000

NOTE: This is the second in a series profiling officers with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Department of Public Safety. It might seem inevitable that a trained law enforcement officer would have spent time playing cops and robbers as a child, but for Detective Sharon Houlette of ��Vlog��ýLR’s Department of Public Safety, law enforcement was the furthest thing from her mind when she first came to campus. Houlette, a native of Oklahoma and 20-year veteran of DPS started her career at ��Vlog��ýLR in a very different capacity. “I worked for the bookstore. My background was in retail,” said Houlette. At the time, Houlette was 34 with five young children and providing a path to pay for her children’s future college expenses was foremost on her mind, and she was eager to take advantage of the university’s tuition discount offered to dependents of employees. So when a national chain bought the small bookstore out, Houlette immediately applied for other on-campus positions. Eventually, she was hired by DPS and became one of the first female cadets trained at the Little Rock Police Academy. “I wouldn’t say I was a natural ‘fit’ so much as I was passionate about finishing,” Houlette said, with a steady smile that seemed to belie her determined nature. “But I’m glad I did it. I’ve loved this job ever since,” she said. Although Houlette has spent the majority of her time at DPS in the Criminal Investigative Division, Police Chief Ed Smith recently named her the department’s accreditation manager. For Houlette, this means days spent poring through documentation needed to prepare for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. Houlette said CALEA accreditation will assure the department’s accountability to the community, while holding it to the highest standards. “CALEA is the gold standard of law enforcement,” she said. “It will inspire confidence in our agency and promote professional excellence. I’m honored to be part of this process.” Houlette said the biggest challenge about her position today is learning to do something new and striving to be among the best at it. But as for the rewards of her career in policing? “The rewards come in making a difference in even one person’s life,” she said. “That, and being a good example for my kids.” For more information about ��Vlog��ýLR’s law enforcement, go to the Department of Public Safety.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ýLR hosts law enforcement seminar about effective crisis leadership

����Vlog��ýLR student lands Secret Service internship

Arkansas Prescription Drug Take Back at ����Vlog��ýLR

Public Safety sets Drug Take Back Initiative collection record

Rave Guardian hits app store shelves

Little Rock police officers training for bicycle patrol

����Vlog��ýLR encourages public to dispose of medications Sept. 27

Public can drop off unused meds April 26

Behind the Badge: Detective Tonya Soule

Behind the Badge: Detective Sharon Houlette

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ýLR hosts law enforcement seminar about effective crisis leadership

��Vlog��ýLR student lands Secret Service internship

Arkansas Prescription Drug Take Back at ��Vlog��ýLR

��Vlog��ýLR encourages public to dispose of medications Sept. 27