Friday, September 21, 2012
Police departments are accustomed to sharing things — information, training, investigations.
The Bentonville and Cave Springs departments are taking their partnership one step further and sharing something unusual — their wardrobes. Bentonville donated about 75 new and gently-used uniforms to the Cave Springs department, saving the city about $9,000, according to Michael Caudill, Cave Springs chief.
“That’s significant to a small department,” Caudill said. “We appreciate it.”
At A Glance
Two Departments
w The Bentonville Police Department employs 59 uniformed officers. It is at 908 S.E. 14th St.
w The Cave Springs Police Department has four full-time and nine part-time officers. It is at 137 N. Main St.
Source: Staff Report
Bentonville switched out its uniforms last year after Chief Jon Simpson took command of the department. Officers tried different brands and styles and considered staying with the same black, wool-blend uniform they had worn since the late 1980s and early 1990s. Simpson said the department found a suitable replacement in a navy blue polyester uniform, and no longer needed the standard black uniforms.
Simpson learned the Cave Springs Police Department was switching to the same uniform brand, color and style Bentonville was moving from, and it made sense to help out another department, he said.
Bentonville’s City Council declared the uniforms surplus property in July, and Cave Springs’ 13 full- and part-time officers now have a closet full of free uniforms.
Bentonville removed its shoulder patches and Cave Springs put its own logo on the sleeves, saving the Bentonville department a headache in the process. Bentonville didn’t want to auction the uniforms or place them in a garage sale where it would be easy for someone to impersonate an officer, Simpson said.
“The surplus and transfer of these uniforms to the Cave Springs Police Department is in the best interest of both cities and also a responsible means of disposal for law enforcement specific equipment,” Simpson wrote to aldermen in July.
Several of the uniforms are in new condition, and even the used ones are in good shape, Simpson said. A variety of sizes are available, as well.
“There’s no doubt, they set up a clothing bank for us,” Caudill said. “When officers need a new uniform, it saves them having to go down and buy one.”
The uniform share is just one example of the spirit of cooperation between the neighboring departments, according to Larry Smith, Cave Springs mayor. He called Bentonvile a “sister city” and said city officials work well together.
“We’re extremely pleased and very grateful to Simpson and Mayor Bob McCaslin,” Smith said.