The Pine Bluff City Council held its meeting on Monday, addressing a range of issues from policing policies to budget amendments.
One of the most debated items was an ordinance to modify applicant disqualifications for the Pine Bluff Police Department. The ordinance was up for its third and final reading, leading to a lengthy discussion about the implications of rehiring previously terminated officers.
Council Member Lanette Frazier expressed strong reservations. “I just can’t support it in good conscience. … I still feel like it’s something that the citizens should know more about and not be rushed through,” she said. “If you’re fired and it was for minor infractions, my question is, was it more than one minor infraction that caused all of a sudden for this minor infraction to get you fired?”
Frazier also raised concerns about the potential testimony of rehired officers in court, questioning, “How is it that if that person that we hire back that was fired end up arresting someone and they have to go to court in order to be a witness to testify any good lawyer is going to bring up the fact that they were fired and why they were fired and if their testimony is even worth the salt that they even say?”
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Assistant Police Chief Kelvin Hadley clarified the intent of the ordinance. “We are not looking to hire anyone terminated for violent offenses or very culpable offenses in our policies,” he said. “We’re going to monitor those people that we do bring in.”
He further explained that the department would have the final say in who is rehired, with “myself and (Interim Police) Chief (Shirley) Warrior would have had that last say. We will not bring anybody back again for those strong culpable offenses or anything that’s been a violent or theft or something like that nature,” he said.
Hadley indicated that on a “good day,” the PBPD might only have four to five officers actively patrolling the streets per shift. This shortage has prompted officials to consider rehiring experienced officers who were previously terminated for what were described as “lower offenses.”
Hadley clarified that officers who have been “decertified” are also ineligible for rehiring and that the focus would be on allowing the department to consider rehiring officers who were terminated for less severe infractions, such as policy violations, excessive absences or minor incidents like wrecking a vehicle. An officer who has been decertified has been stripped of their certification and can no longer serve in law enforcement.
Council Member Glen Brown Jr. raised the question of whether other cities have similar policies in place. While Hadley stated they were not aware of specific policies in other municipalities, further research conducted by Mayor Vivian Flowers during the meeting revealed that Little Rock, for example, allows terminated officers to be rehired under certain conditions and approval processes. This information appeared to sway some council members in favor of the ordinance.
While Frazier’s concern that the potential for rehiring officers who may have committed offenses could compromise public trust, other council members emphasized the importance of providing individuals with a “second chance” for less serious offenses. It was stressed that any rehiring decisions would involve a thorough review of the officer’s file and would ultimately be at the discretion of the chief.
During the discussion, there was also mention of an “appeal board” that currently has the authority to overturn terminations. The ordinance essentially gives the department the same authority to consider rehiring, provided the officers meet the criteria.
“I think people do deserve a second chance,” said Brown. “Some of those offenses were just more or less just a policy violation … so many absences or something like that. … I think those individuals do deserve a chance.”
Hadley also clarified that the ordinance has nothing to do with trying to hire any specific individual back.
“Right now, without staffing, that’s why we’re trying to be open-minded to try to bring back people who have experience who have worked here before and know the system,” said Hadley. “We can get them back in because of the low-level offenses and they can be able to be of service again.”
Ultimately, the ordinance passed 7 to 1, with Frazier casting the no vote.
The council also addressed budgetary matters, amending the 2025 municipal budget to add two laborer positions within the Pine Bluff Street Department, funding the salary of $31,212 for each position. The resolution included approval of job descriptions and compensation for the positions.