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Public safety panel to present its report |
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Tuesday, 29 July 2008 |
The Citizens Public Safety Committee will present its final report to the public in a meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Benton Municipal Complex.
Benton City Council, upon the recommendation of Alderman Steve Lee, established the group in October to review current and future needs of the police and fire departments, emergency medical services and 911 communications support. Lee is chairman of the council’s standing Health and Safety Committee.
David Mattingly, representing the group, will outline the findings in the session that is open to the public.
Public hearings the group has conducted brought out numerous concerns from area residents, including the following:
•No advanced life support service on fire and rescue trucks.
•No funds being reserved for the city’s next fire truck, which will cost around $400,000.
•No funds being reserved to buy and replace police cars.
•No funds being reserved for required safety equipment.
•No funds being reserved for the next police/fire station.
•No funds available for across-the-board raises. The last across-the-board raises for police and fire personnel were given in 2004.
•No funds available to hire, train and increase public safety personnel.
In addition to Mattingly, other members of the Citizens Public Safety Committee are Carolyn Boone, Don Birdsong, Mary Kay Mooney, Bill Hampton, Robert Edwards, Winifred K. Stamps and Fire Chief Ben Blankenship.
Former Police Chief Gary Sipes also served on the panel earlier but was replaced by Capt. Roger Gaither, who is serving as interim police chief.
Dr. Jeff Walker, professor and graduate coordinator of the Department of Criminal Justice at University of Arkansas at Little Rock, served as an adviser for the group for several weeks.
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