Benton Courier - Chief staying put

An attempt to override Benton Mayor Rick Holland’s recent appointment of Kirk Lane as police chief failed to get the seven votes required for the action.
The vote was held during Monday night’s City Council meeting.
Following a 30-minute executive session, Alderman Larry Wolf presented the motion to override the mayor’s appointment, but it drew only five “yes” votes. Voting for the motion, in addition to Wolf, were Aldermen Joe Lee Richards, Brad Moore, Doug Stracener and Greg White.
Voting “no” were Aldermen Jerry Ponder, David Sparks, Steve Lee and Charles Cunningham. Alderman Bill Donnor was absent and his vote automatically counted as “no.”
When the mayor announced that the motion had failed, a large number of Benton police employees stood and applauded.
Cissy Brown, a longtime employee of the department, said the department is “100 percent behind him. He has our total support.”
Brown noted that she worked with Lane in the 1980s when he was on the Benton force and said she’s “glad to see him back.”
“It’s a good thing to see everyone united in our department,” she said. “This is not always the case with us, but on this issue, we are.”
Lane said he is relieved that the issue has been settled. “I feel better now. I’m saddened in respect to Mrs. Ives and others affected [by the 1987 deaths of teenagers Kevin Ives and Don Henry].”
Lane was referring to Linda Ives, mother of Kevin Ives. Ives has accused Lane and former Pulaski County officer [more recently Lonoke police chief] Jay Campbell of being involved in the deaths of her son and his friend. She was part of a group that made the film “Obstruction of Justice,” which includes allegations against Lane and Campbell, who is now serving a prison term for other criminal activity that occurred while he was Lonoke’s police chief.
Lane acknowledged that Ives and others have accused him of being involved in the teens’ deaths on railroad tracks in Saline County. “But that information is not true. I realize that Mrs. Ives and others have not had closure on this, but I also haven’t had closure. This is a burden I’ve carried on my shoulders for a long time.
“I stand for what is right,” he said. “I want to do what’s right for my career and my family and I will give this my heart.”
Now that the issue of his employment has been resolved, Lane believes “we can move forward.”
“I have great support in the department and that means a lot to me. I think we’ll go forward now.”
In the council’s agenda session that preceded the regular meeting, several aldermen said they have received numerous calls from people objecting to Lane serving as chief.
In the agenda meeting, Lee suggested calling a special meeting in which nothing would be addressed other than Lane’s appointment, but other aldermen said they wanted the issue settled Monday night.
“This is an explosive issue,” Lee said. “I say that because of all the phone calls I’ve had. I just want to be fair to everyone.”
Moore pointed out that a large number of residents were attending the meeting because of the issue regarding Lane. “The general public is here tonight for us to make a decision.”
“I think the public should be allowed to speak and then we should go into executive session,” Wolf said.
During the open session of the council meeting, before the aldermen went into executive session, several people spoke. The speakers were divided between supporters of Lane and those who objected to his appointment as chief.
Richards encouraged public comment.
“I think anyone in the audience should have a right to speak,” he said.
Lee said, “We need to clear the air of this issue where the city can move on.”
Jack McQuary, a state special prosecutor, spoke on Lane’s behalf.
Noting that he has worked with Lane for 20 years, McQuary said, “Benton is extremely fortunate to have someone with the degree of professionalism as this man brings here.”
Linda Ives told the council that she has “no illusions about anyone deciding tonight whether Kirk Lane is guilty or innocent” in regard to her son’s death.
“That should have been answered long ago,” she said.
Referring to the independent film made about the boys deaths, she said it came about “because if was very frustrated” when the crime was not solved.
According to her account, during the FBI investigation of the deaths, the investigator in charge of the case was “allowed to question Lane and Campbell.”
She referred to the defamation of character lawsuit that Lane and Campbell filed against the producers of the film. “They won, but they lost in the appeal.”
“The question tonight is do the people of Benton believe that a police chief should be a suspect in a homicide?”
George D. “Bucky” Ellis, a local attorney who has represented many police officers through CARMA (Central Arkansas Risk Management Association), spoke in favor of Lane.
He called some of the stories surrounding the deaths of the two boys “an urban myth” and compared them to “Elvis sightings.”
“I’ve seen the case file and Kirk Lane has never been a suspect in that case,” Ellis said.
Amy Burnett, a Saline County resident who was a friend of Kevin Ives and Don Henry, voiced her opposition to his being hired as police chief.
“I’m an American citizen and I’m supposed to believe in our justice system, but I have little faith in it. Citizens shouldn’t have to live in fear.
“I don’t believe he (Kirk Lane) can bring the right leadership ... “
A retired police officer, James Smyth, spoke in Lane’s behalf, noting that Lane’s record speaks for itself. “I was Kirk Lane’s first sergeant. He’s been in law enforcement for 20 years; he’s been to the FBI Academy and worked under two sheriff.
“Why haven’t these people been to Little Rock to complain? I think he’s good for the city of Benton and I think you need to keep him.”Another who spoke against Lane was Carrie Jo Halpine. “I don’t think he needs to be here,” she said. Nobody’s going to trust him.”
Another opponent, Tonda Williams, told the aldermen that “this whole county is afraid of him.”
“Can’t you hire someone who’s not your best friend?” she said in reference to the mayor’s long friendship with Lane.
Phillip Howell told the council that hiring Lane would be “the wrong decision for our city.”
“Saline County and Benton have been the brunt of many jokes and I want us to get going in a new direction,” he said.
Before the aldermen voted on Lane’s appointment, Richards said he did not know how the vote would go on the issue. “This is a very tough decision ... From this point on, Benton needs to progress.”

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

Get Stock Quotes