Hot Springs hires new police chief from own ranks

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The city of Hot Springs has hired its new police chief from among the ranks of its own department.

City Manager Bill Burrough announced Wednesday that interim Chief Billy Hrvatin is the Hot Springs Police Department’s new chief of police.

Hrvatin had been in the interim chief role since previous Chief Chris Chapmond’s appointment to director of the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement and Training on Jan. 21. Before becoming interim chief, Hhrvatin had been the city’s assistant chief since June 2020.

Chapmond and Hrvatin implemented a crime reduction strategy in 2020, officials said, which resulted in the city experienced a 7% decline in major crime trends in the next two years. Violent crimes were down in three of four categories for the same period.

Hrvatin has been with the Hot Springs Police Department for more than 25 years, including 17 years on the SWAT team. Six of those as the team’s tactical commander.

from KARK https://ift.tt/3xuylUP