Our View

Our View

Keeping Big River Trail secure a priority

With all the hype being given and all the multi-millions of public and private money that has been poured into this Big River Crossing bike and pedestrian trail across the Harahan Bridge it seems little forethought was given, at least on the Arkansas side, to public safety issues.

West Memphis promoters have been anxiously awaiting completion of the extensive project and its formal opening next month and have been touting just how wonderful this greenway and 17-mile levee trail will be in attracting bicyclists, environmentalists, hikers and tourists to this side of the Mississippi River.

Here we are now, just days before what is expected to be hundreds of inquisitive trail blazers converging on our side of the river and it appears it is taking Crittenden County Sheriff Mike Allen to bring up the very important issue of public safety, just exactly what the cost will be and what agency will be responsible for addressing the potential crime problem.

While West Memphis officials seem to be basking in all the glory it appears Sheriff Allen and the county taxpayers will be left footing the tab to purchase a special four-wheel drive all-terrian vehicle suitable for patrolling the pathway from the river to the levee as well as the salary of deputies assigned to the area.

Because the sheriff’s vehicle budget is limited to $30,000 and earmarked for patrol cars Sheriff Allen has requested Crittenden County Quorum Court for permission to spend $16,590 for a Polaris 570 sideby- side four-wheeled ATV.

The vehicle is a crew cab and will be equipped with a radio and detention cage, the sheriff explained to justices and Judge Wheeless. Wheeless signed off on the sheriff’s request with no public comment on why, in all the grand planning, that West Memphis planners failed to take into account public safety concerns, who will be held responsible as well as the on-going costs.

After all, and as Sheriff Allen said, the area along the levee and under the bridge is prone to criminal activity and has been since the 1980s.

“There is crime that is going to come,” Allen warned promoters of this 17 mile biking and pedestrian trail. He went on to say, “We don’t want to get a bad reputation for something occurring.”

The safety issue from the Harahan Bridge to the levee brings up the question as to who will be responsible for providing law enforcement protection along the remainder of the trail? Will Police Chief Donald Oakes be required to hire additional police officers and equip them with the same expensive four-wheel drive ATVs as what Sheriff Allen is having to purchase. And finally, what is the estimated cost of addressing these critical safety concerns?

Let’s face it, if there are issues of criminal activity such as robbery, sexual assault or even the possibility of some biker or hiker being killed, this will be the demise of this trail at least on the Arkansas side anyway.