Hartford Residents “Fed Up” With Crime

Hartford residents met with city and county law enforcement Thursday night. The community says they have had dozens of burglaries over the past six months and want it to stop.

An angry, vocal crowd at the Hartford Fire Department demanded more deputies patrol their streets.

“The town is fed up and concerned,” said Tracy Cravey, a concerned citizen.

Cravey says the city is not safe. “There’s been over 30 break-ins in the last six months,” she said. “Some of the churches have been broke in multiple times.”

Citizens discussed burglaries, vandalism, drugs, suspicious fires, and possible corruption.

“This is one of the worst towns in the world for allowing drugs and stuff like that to go on,” said Cravey.

The town has one police officer and residents say turnover is high.

“In the past I want to say five years we have gone through four police officers in this town,” said Charles Bolton, a concerned citizen.

The town wants help. Residents asked Sebastian County Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck to intervene. Hartford citizens want deputies in town patrolling, investigating, and arresting offenders.

“I think that the sheriff got the point that the community wants him here,” said Cravey.

Hollenbeck asked residents to call when they see something suspicious and promised to help correct issues.

“We’ve got good answers from the county,” said Jason Chick, a concerned citizen.

“I think that if they will do and follow up with some of the promises they’ve made here tonight, hopefully some of that will be resolved,” said Cravey.

Deputies did make an arrest in one of the church burglaries earlier this week.