A Pine Bluff police officer - accused of stealing things from people he knows - was arrested Thursday at the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Camden.
The officer, Cody Wayne Cummings of Ward, remained at the Lonoke County jail Thursday afternoon inlieu of a $10,000 bond, said Lt. James Kulesa, who investigated the thefts.
A missing digital camera triggered the investigation, Kulesa said, adding that other items - including a shotgun - were stolen from two other homes, as well. Most had disappeared between September and December.
“These were people he knew,” Kulesa said. “It started off with a report from one, and then another and then another.”
Cummings, 24, has been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation, Pine Bluff police Lt. JoAnn Bates said.
Cummings was hired Nov. 5, through the Vets to Cops grant program. He was in his sixth week at thetraining academy, Kulesa said, explaining, “He was halfway through.”
The Vets to Cops program, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, is twofold. It offers an opportunity for employment to military veterans who have served at least 180 days since Sept. 11, 2001. And it allows cash-strapped cities and counties to expand their forces.
Bates said she didn’t know in which branch of the military Cummings had served.
Lonoke County deputies had previously notified the Pine Bluff Police Department of the investigation.
“Some of the items he’d taken - we wanted to makesure those weren’t their property,” Kulesa said.
Upon arriving at the training academy Thursday, deputies went to the administration office and asked that Cummings be called to the office.
He was taken into custody without incident, Kulesa said, adding that Cummings likely knew an arrest was imminent after being questioned earlier by investigators.
The sheriff ’s office also notified Pine Bluff police of the pending arrest ahead of time so that officers from that department could be on hand to retrieve law-enforcement equipment being used by Cummings.
He faces charges of residential burglary, felony theft of property and misdemeanor theft of property.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/15/2013