Information on the Pocahontas Police Department

The Pocahontas police department’s chief of police is Chad Mulligan.  Chad was appointed in 2003. The department has 13 full- time officers and 1 full- time secretary.  The Pocahontas police department has 2 full -time criminal investigators Sgt. Jesse Luffman and Keith Gilliam. The department has 11 officers in the patrol and one K-9.  The department has 2 officers assigned to warrants division as well as patrol.  The department has 8 certified law enforcement instructors and 2 certified D.A.R.E. instructors.

The officers of Pocahontas are assigned cars; those that live inside the city limits take their car home.  The Pocahontas police department is committed to professionalism and community relations.  

THE CITY OF POCAHONTAS IS A NO TOLERANCE ZONE FOR DRUGS.

The City of Pocahontas is dedicated to the commitment of community service with pride and professionalism

CHIEF CHAD MULLIGAN STARTED HIS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER IN 1989.  CHIEF MULLIGAN HAS WORKED THROUGH THE RANKS FROM PATROLMAN TO CORPORAL TO SERGEANT TO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR. CHIEF MULLIGAN IS A CERTIFIED POLICE INSTRUCTOR, D.A.R.E. INSTRUCTOR AND HAS HIS DEGREE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE. CHIEF MULLIGAN WAS APPOINTED TO CHIEF IN 2003. CHIEF MULLIGAN GRADUATED THE POLICE ACADEMY IN CAMDEN, AR.

Training

All sworn officers have completed Basic Law Enforcement Training at the Police Academy in E. Camden AR. Black River Tech. College, which is located in Pocahontas is currently operating a Police Academy which is one of two in the state. The basic course that is required by the state is 480 hours the academy here funds 542 hours.  The academy in this part of the state draws a lot of officers from surrounding cities in Arkansas.  For the ones who live too far to go home a motel room is provided  as well as meals.  Before the academy was built here all officers had to travel to the other academy in E. Camden AR.  which is about a four hour drive one way.  With having a local academy it allows officers to be with their families at night for the weeks they are in school.  The academy has two classes a year at this time.

 The Criminal Justice Institute offers various law enforcement classes now at Black River Tech. College. The CJIS and BRTC have been very helpful in conducting classes for the officers in our area. The Attorney General's office also has helped by conducting classes in our area when requested. The Arkansas Crime Information Center (ACIC) plays a major part in law enforcement in our area by providing education and other major aspects of local law enforcement. Please visit their homepages for more information on these organizations. The department works with the United States Secret Service, FBI, and has close contact on cases in this area. Other federal agencies we work with are US Postal Investigators, US Customs, the D.E.A., and the IRS Criminal Division.

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