Here's the deal.
A Fort Smith city board member gets pulled over for suspected DUI.
He's got alcohol on his breath.
He gets "preferential treatment" and instead of being hauled in, he's given a ride to an IHOP.
A few hours later, the city board member, now even more intoxicated, is arrested after rear-ending the same parked car twice on the side of the road.
And the Fort Smith city PD actually ADMITS that they gave preferential treatment because of his job and status!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow.......will wonders never cease???????????
http://www.kfsm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4174834
Police say proper procedure was followed with city administrator
Nov 28, 2005, 05:28 PM CST Email to a Friend Printer Friendly Version
FORT SMITH--The Fort Smith city administrator arrested for drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident is on administrative leave and the city's board of directors will consider his future employment. Police say after a traffic stop Sunday morning, Bill Harding was given preferential treatment by getting a ride in a patrol car to IHOP, but they say proper procedure was followed in his arrest less than four hours later.
“As far as Mr. Harding was treated differently, of course he was treated differently, he's an employee of the city. He’s the city administrator. It would be naïve for me to say we handled this call just like anybody else would, we didn't and we wouldn't,” Sgt. Jarrard Copeland of the Fort Smith police said.
Police say special treatment was given to him after his first traffic stop just after seven Sunday morning, near the intersection of Old Greenwood Road and Savannah Street where an officer saw him cross the center line.
Although the officer who pulled the city administrator over, smelled alcohol on Harding, he determined he wasn't intoxicated, but didn't want him to continue driving, so he drove Harding to his destination in a patrol car, something unusual, but it didn't violate police policy because Harding is a city employee.
Harding was on his way to meet Board of Director member, Ken Pyle at the restaurant. Pyle declined to go on camera but said he offered Harding a ride home after two hours at the restaurant. Pyle said Harding wanted to get his car, and he said Harding was in a better state to drive. He drove him to his vehicle and then followed him home.
According to Pyle, Harding arrived home at about 9:30 a.m. Less than an hour and a half later, Harding was arrested outside of Harvest Time Tabernacle, after reportedly hitting a parked car, and driving drunk.
Now his action is forcing city leaders to take the necessary steps to keep the city moving forward. “The reality is that we have a responsibility to the 80 thousand citizens. We’ll discuss it in a closed door meeting we'll arrive at a decision that's best for the city,” city director Velvet Medlock-Graham said.
Pyle said he was unsure if Harding would be at the personnel meeting or if the board would make it’s decision tomorrow, but he said it would do what’s best for the city.
Harding has worked for the city of Fort Smith for 21 years. He will be arraigned Wednesday.
A Fort Smith city board member gets pulled over for suspected DUI.
He's got alcohol on his breath.
He gets "preferential treatment" and instead of being hauled in, he's given a ride to an IHOP.
A few hours later, the city board member, now even more intoxicated, is arrested after rear-ending the same parked car twice on the side of the road.
And the Fort Smith city PD actually ADMITS that they gave preferential treatment because of his job and status!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow.......will wonders never cease???????????
http://www.kfsm.com/Global/story.asp?S=4174834
Police say proper procedure was followed with city administrator
Nov 28, 2005, 05:28 PM CST Email to a Friend Printer Friendly Version
FORT SMITH--The Fort Smith city administrator arrested for drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident is on administrative leave and the city's board of directors will consider his future employment. Police say after a traffic stop Sunday morning, Bill Harding was given preferential treatment by getting a ride in a patrol car to IHOP, but they say proper procedure was followed in his arrest less than four hours later.
“As far as Mr. Harding was treated differently, of course he was treated differently, he's an employee of the city. He’s the city administrator. It would be naïve for me to say we handled this call just like anybody else would, we didn't and we wouldn't,” Sgt. Jarrard Copeland of the Fort Smith police said.
Police say special treatment was given to him after his first traffic stop just after seven Sunday morning, near the intersection of Old Greenwood Road and Savannah Street where an officer saw him cross the center line.
Although the officer who pulled the city administrator over, smelled alcohol on Harding, he determined he wasn't intoxicated, but didn't want him to continue driving, so he drove Harding to his destination in a patrol car, something unusual, but it didn't violate police policy because Harding is a city employee.
Harding was on his way to meet Board of Director member, Ken Pyle at the restaurant. Pyle declined to go on camera but said he offered Harding a ride home after two hours at the restaurant. Pyle said Harding wanted to get his car, and he said Harding was in a better state to drive. He drove him to his vehicle and then followed him home.
According to Pyle, Harding arrived home at about 9:30 a.m. Less than an hour and a half later, Harding was arrested outside of Harvest Time Tabernacle, after reportedly hitting a parked car, and driving drunk.
Now his action is forcing city leaders to take the necessary steps to keep the city moving forward. “The reality is that we have a responsibility to the 80 thousand citizens. We’ll discuss it in a closed door meeting we'll arrive at a decision that's best for the city,” city director Velvet Medlock-Graham said.
Pyle said he was unsure if Harding would be at the personnel meeting or if the board would make it’s decision tomorrow, but he said it would do what’s best for the city.
Harding has worked for the city of Fort Smith for 21 years. He will be arraigned Wednesday.
off. And some LEO's wonder why a sizable portion of the general public has ZERO respect for them... 
It may be the way the world works but that sure as 
