The Benton Police Department is pleased to announce that citizens can now gain access to neighborhood level crime incident data in near real time. Through a partnership with CrimeReports, creators of the national crime map at www.crimereports.com, the Benton Police Department is giving Benton citizen’s free access to the world’s largest online crime map. Together with CrimeReports, citizens are also able to send anonymous tips to law enforcement via text message, iPhone and Android.

    “Providing reliable, timely information to our citizens is one of our top priorities,” says Chief Kirk Lane. “And partnering with CrimeReports gives us the ability to keep the public informed on a regular basis as to what is going on in the community.” He added that the public can access the crime map through the website or through the CrimeReports iPhone app, which is available for free download in the Apple iTunes store.

    It is that time of the year again when individuals from all across Saline County and Central Arkansas converge into Hurricane Lake in Benton for Special Olympics.  It’s called the Polar Plunge and it’s an event where individuals agree to jump into freezing cold waters in exchange for monetary donations to Special Olympics Arkansas. 

    This is the 2nd year for the Polar Plunge event to be held in Saline County at Hurricane Lake Estates.  It all begins on Jan. 14th with registration at 10:00 AM and the plunge starting at 11:00 AM.  

  Officers with the Benton Special Investigation Unit, which is comprised of officers from the Benton and Bryant Police Departments, recently conducted undercover compliance checks of restaurants that serve alcohol in Benton and Bryant.  These checks were done to ensure that these establishments are not serving alcohol to minors. 

    There were four restaurants that failed and five that passed the compliance checks during this operation.  The four establishments that failed were; Denton’s Trotline, Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday, and Chili’s.  Those that passed the check were La Hacienda, Colton’s, Gino’s, Smokey Joes, and Maya Riviera. 

   On 12/31/11, at approximately 10:47 PM, officers with the Benton Police Department responded to 1126 English Oak Dr. in reference to a disturbance.  Upon their arrival it was determined that Yin Yan Schmidt had been taken from the residence at gunpoint by her ex-husband, Gerald Schmidt (W/M, 52 YOA). 

    While officers were searching for their whereabouts a call came into the Bryant Police Department that a female was asking for help near the Bishop Park area on Boone Road.  It was determined that the female was Ms. Schmidt, but upon their arrival neither subject was located after an extensive search by numerous agencies.