Police: Rogers' Lake Atalanta Has A Low Crime Rate

ROGERS -- Some residents who live around Lake Atalanta have said the park has a problem with criminal activity.

The concerns have been expressed during meetings about renovating the lake and the fate of the road around it.

Police logs, however, indicate little criminal activity in the park.

Capt. Hayes Minor, who oversees the patrol and the criminal investigation divisions of the Rogers Police Department, said those concerns are "an urban myth."

"Maybe they are referring to incidents that happened years ago, I don't know. I do know that we don't get many calls from lake residents regarding suspicious activity," Minor said.

Dell Tyson is a longtime lake-area resident and said she agrees with Minor about safety at the park.

"I've walked around the lake more than 1,000 times and never had any problems with anybody. I feel safe when I am at the lake, and I've never actually seen any criminal activity. Nobody messes with me," Tyson said.

Jim Elkins, who has lived near Lake Atalanta for 40 years, said he's never had any problems.

"I think Minor is right. The notion that there is criminal activity at the lake is just an urban legend. Some people may be thinking about 10 to 15 years ago when there was, in my opinion, some homosexual activity at the lake," Elkins said. "The police do a good job at the lake. Trouble could happen anywhere at any time."

Margaret Tull, another lake-area resident, said at a recent meeting regarding the fate of the road she has seen suspicious activity in the area.

"Cars drive around the lake at all hours of the night. One time I saw a car parked with its lights off. Another car approached and the parked car's headlights flashed on and off. The second car parked near the first and in a just a minute both cars left," Tull said at the meeting. She said she didn't think the cars were there because of the beauty of the lake.

After learning police often drive around the lake at night, Tull said maybe that's who she has seen.

"I am glad to know the police patrol the lake at night, and during the day. I feel much better knowing that," Tull said.

Over the past two years, police have received only one complaint call from a resident involving an incident in the park, according to records. That call was on May 15 at 10:47 a.m. There also was a disturbance call on May 19 at 5:54 p.m.

Officers patrol Lake Atalanta on a daily basis, Minor said. Officers drove around the lake 772 times in 2012 and 2013. Police officers usually check the lake area three or more times at night, and at least once or twice during the day, according to records.

"The park is closed to the public at night, which means nobody should be in the park between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. That's one of the reasons we patrol the lake at night. We aren't worried about people night fishing, but people parking around the lake for whatever reason," Minor said.

An officer was shot at Lake Atalanta in May 2012, Minor said.

Jeff Pollock was checking on one of those vehicles parked at the lake. Police said he was shot by Gregory Lance Duffy, 22, of Rogers. Duffy sped away from the lake, but was found in the War Eagle area where he shot and killed himself as authorities were closing in.

Pollock recovered from his wound and returned to work.

In June, another officer, Brandon Dill, was checking a vehicle at the lake, when the driver fled from him. The driver, identified as Richard Adam Peak, stopped his vehicle on the Arkansas 12 bridge and committed suicide, authorities said.

Still, "I don't think the park is a high crime area," Minor said. "As I said before, it's more an urban myth than reality." Minor said.