Little Rock mayor under additional pressure to appoint a head of police department after the second interim chief in five months leaves the post

Little Rock, Arkansas – The Little Rock Department has been on the lookout for a permanent head of the department for a while now after the previous chief, Keith Humphey, retired in May.

But the need for naming a police chief is much greater now since the previous interim chiefs resigned over a period of five months, with the latest, interim chief Wayne Bewley, announcing his retirement yesterday. The high rate of violence in the city is putting additional pressure on the mayor to appoint a new chief as soon as possible.

The first interim chief, Crystal Young-Haskins, resigned in June.

After 36 years of service with the Little Rock Police Department, Interim Police Chief Wayne Bewley announced that he would be resigning and would be taking another employment opportunity.

“This has truly been the dream job of my life and has provided me the opportunity to experience so many things while working with some of the best police officers anywhere in this country. I am forever grateful to the city of Little Rock. With that being said, it is time to move on to the next chapter of my life,” Bewley said.

Mayor Frank Scott Jr. had a few words of appreciation after Bewley’s announcement and also said he is expecting that the Little Rock Police Department will have a new chief in less than 60 days.

“Chief Bewley provided needed stability to the department and continued to advance LRPD in a positive direction,” the mayor wrote. “He’s been an asset to me in my search for a permanent chief, and I’ll miss his counsel and leadership.”

Heath Helton, who is now serving as assistant chief, will be the one to replace Bewley as temporary chief on December 3.