Springdale Buries Funeral Escorts

Other Cities Plan to Continue Police Service

A funeral procession moves east Wednesday along West Meadow Avenue from Sisco Funeral Chapel in Springdale. Because of manpower and liability issues, Springdale police will no longer provide escorts for funeral processions.

A funeral procession moves east Wednesday along West Meadow Avenue from Sisco Funeral Chapel in Springdale. Because of manpower and liability issues, Springdale police will no longer provide escorts for funeral processions.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

— Springdale police will no longer escort funeral processions heading from churches and chapels to gravesites, a move that’s angered funeral directors.

Other police agencies in Northwest Arkansas plan to continue escorting funerals on request.

“If they’re not going to provide escorts, they need to set up an option for us to do something different. They’ve pulled the rug out from under us,” said Scott Berna, owner of several funeral homes in the region. “If they stick with this policy, there will have to be changes to the way processions are handled. What they’ve done is take away a last symbol of respect for families.”

The change stemmed from manpower and liability issues, said Kathy O’Kelley, Springdale police chief.

“We aren’t opposed to somebody else doing it, but we couldn’t with our on-duty personnel. I get that it’s tradition and a sign of respect, but it’s gotten to the point where it’s not safe,” O’Kelley said. “Our officers are busy responding to calls for service, and official police business, and our liability provider also didn’t want us in the escort business anymore.”

Large processions can take up to eight officers, and last an hour or more, she said.

Fayetteville, Rogers and Bentonville all provide escorts on request, provided manpower is available.

“For both the public and the families, we feel it’s the best thing to do,” said Jon Simpson, Bentonville police chief.

Without traffic control provided by police, state law does not give funeral processions the right of way at red lights and other intersections. In some areas, private companies can provide funeral escorts, but those escorts must obey all traffic laws.

“We have to decide how we’re going to get folks to the cemetery,” Berna said.

In Fort Smith, off-duty deputies from the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office provide escorts for a fee, said Joel Lewis, director of Lewis Funeral Chapel.

“I’ve got one regular guy I call, and he shows up in uniform and in a county car,” Lewis said. “The family doesn’t know it’s a part-time, off-duty thing. They just know we have an escort. On the rare occasions we can’t get one, we don’t go in procession. I’ll just tell people to meet us at a certain time at the gravesite for the internment service.”

Escorts provide both a service and a public relations boost, said Kelly Cradduck, Benton County sheriff.

“I feel it’s something we need to continue doing for the community,” he said. “If we don’t have enough people available on duty, we’ll use reserves. If that doesn’t work, I’ll get my command staff to do it or get in a car and do it myself.”