The Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office attempts to combat the anticipated summertime crime increase

Hot Spring County, Arkansas – The Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office predicted that as the summertime weather in Arkansas approaches, so will crime. The sheriff stated that efforts are being made to combat an anticipated rise in criminal activity without adding to the strain on their facility.

Sheriff Scott Finkbeiner of Hot Spring County stated that the county is currently attempting to regain control due to crime, and he predicted that it will worsen in the summer and into September.

“We see an increase in domestic violence cases and we see an increase in thefts and narcotics,” Finkbeiner said.

He claimed that through increasing policing, the sheriff’s office hoped to reduce those offenses.

“We’re trying to combat that by increasing patrols and making more traffic stops and working more crime areas,” Finkbeiner said.

For the computers inside their police units, according to Finkbeiner, they purchased new software.

“Things like Atlas which allows us to run peoples drivers licenses. We have a barcode scanner. We can scan it and it will tell you their criminal history,” Finkbeiner said.

He claims that they must weigh the arrest they will make against the fact that their jail is already at capacity.

“We’re moving some people to other counties. Which costs us money we’re spending 10-12 thousand a month housing an overflow of inmates,” Finkbeiner said.

Hot Spring County has over 650 square miles in size, according to Finkbeiner, so in order to have that much of a presence, they have patrols set up all across the county in the hopes that this will send a strong message in the summer.

“Our goal is to make this a destination where people don’t want to commit crime,” Finkbeiner said.

The sheriff stated that in order to prepare for the increase in crime, they are also trying to enlist more police assistance. He added that efforts are being made to construct a bigger jail with more beds.