Hallmark named new Earle Police Chief

Hallmark named new Earle Police Chief

Former Cross County detective tapped for leadership role, started career

in Earle

news@theeveningtimes.com

Earle has a new but familiar face serving as chief of police.

Mayor Sherman Smith announced that he has hired David Hallmark of Cross County Sheriff’s Department to head the department.

Hallmark served as a captain with the CCSO but also was a detective and head of the CCSO Criminal Investigations Division and got his start in law enforcement in Earle back in 1999.

“We sent him to the training back in 1999,” Smith said. “He’s mostly worked for Cross County Sheriff’s Department since then.”

Hallmark replaces former chief Jerry Eaves, who will remain with the department but has been reassigned as a school resource officer at the high school.

Eaves had been chief but was fired by former Mayor Carolyn Jones along with two other white officers when she assumed office.

He and the two officers successfully sued the city and Eaves returned to the job in May 2017. The city settled the case for $90,000 and was required to hire all three back at their former rate of pay and guarantee them employment for one year.

Smith said the city received about eight applicants for the chief’s job.

He was impressed with Hallmark’s experience and investigative background.

“He’s pretty well rounded ,” Smith said. “He’s worked in patrol as a deputy sheriff and investigations, which is something we’ve been lacking in Earle,” Smith said. “We need someone to do some good investigative work so we can solve some crime.”

In other business:

• The City Council at its February meting voted to condemn properties at 1130 and 1132 Missouri Streets.

“These are two houses sitting next to each other,” said Building Inspector Bobby Luckett. “They’re pretty bad. And I have several more I will be bringing you.”

• The Council passed resolutions authorizing Smith to apply for $200,000 in funding from the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Program to pave additional streets.

ACEDP distributes funds to low income communities with populations under 50,000 that need extra assistance.

Earle received $250,000 in state Street Aid Program funding last year to overlay portions of Arkansas Street, South Street, Fourth Street, Rollins Street, and Cartwright, but its application for $200,000 from ACEDP was turned down.

“We got money from one source, but at the same time we applied for this other grant from AEDC to cover some more streets that we didn’t receive funding for,” Smith said. “We probably have $400,000 or $500,000 in streets that we still need to do.”

Smith said he plans to update the application and re-submit it.

The Council also authorized East Arkansas Planning and Development to serve as the grant administrator.

By Mark Randall