UPDATE 2/1/2019: The Mayor of Hughes, Arkansas, says the police department is partially reopening Friday night.
Mayor Lincoln Barnett made the following post to Facebook Friday afternoon:
Please Be Advised: The Hughes Police Dept will partially re-open today at 7pm.
Part-Time Certified Officers will be on Part-Time duty. This is temporary until The Standards review is completed on Wednesday Feb. 6, 2019.
All Officers working are those who have been approved and listed on the official roster of the City Hughes Police Department.
All other officers’ certification status must be cleared and approved by Standards before returning to duty.
—————————
(ORIGINAL STORY 1/30/2019)
The City of Hughes has apparently closed its police department, according to a news release sent to Local 24 News and posted to the Mayor’s Facebook page. The mayor apparently blames a lack of fully certified officers.
Hughes is about 40 miles southwest of Memphis. We called both the city, which went to a recording, as well as the police department, where no one answered.
The news release reads as follows:
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! THE CITY OF HUGHES POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO AN INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF FULLY CERTIFIED OFFICERS. THE SAINT FRANICS COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT WILL BE PATROLLING THE CITY.
TO ENSURE THE CITY OF HUGHES POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN OPERATING WITHIN THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THE COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS & TRAINING STANDARDS A COMPLIANCE REVIEW HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR FEBURARY 6, 2019.
Lincoln E. Barnett, Mayor
