Jonesboro police chief gives update on entertainment district, crime trends

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) – On Tuesday, Jonesboro Police Chief Rick Elliott said his agency has made a dent in crime in the city.

At the Jonesboro Public Safety Council Committee’s meeting on Sept. 17, Chief Elliott gave an update on police responses since the downtown entertainment district opened earlier in the month.

Since its opening, two events have been held: Paint the Town Red and Local Fest.

Chief Elliott said in that time, there have been no alcohol-related incidents. He said there were a couple of arrests, but they were only drug-related.

He added they have had no complaints about people leaving the entertainment district with alcohol.

Chief Elliott said he would continue to give updates as events go on to determine if the district would be problematic. He added they would have a better idea of what to expect when the Downtown BBQ Festival happens on Sept. 27 and 28.

When asked about expenditures made on staffing for the district, Chief Elliott said there have been none, with the Jonesboro Police Department providing four officers for Paint the Town Red. He added Local Fest provided for the expenditures, and the Downtown BBQ Festival will do the same.

Chief Elliott also gave an update on crime rates in the city. He first started by comparing Jonesboro’s population in 2015 to 2024. He said in 2015, there were 73,712 people, while so far in 2024, there are 81,246 people.

He mentioned that crime trends have decreased as the population increases, noting that 2020 was one of the more violent years in the city. He said it was the peak year for homicides at 11 total.

Chief Elliott said in 2023, 30% of crimes committed in Jonesboro were by people who do not live there, with several suspects being in cities like Memphis and Little Rock, and even states outside of Region 8 like Washington and California.

Chief Elliott added more needed to be done to keep children out of crime, saying they are being recruited into gangs. He also said there were a few children in the Craighead County Detention Center who recently had been charged as adults.

Still on the topic of children and crime, Chief Elliott mentioned selector switches are being used on glocks by the children. He said three selector switches have been recovered so far this year.

Chief Elliott mentioned that his agency will be releasing crime statistics for the last ten years on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

Once those statistics are released, K8 News will let you know.

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