First black police chief in Fort Smith named

Clark held post in Pine Bluff from 2000-02

FORT SMITH -- Nathaniel Clark was announced Monday as new police chief of Arkansas' second-largest city and the city's first black chief.

City Administrator Carl Geffken, who made the final decision on the hiring, said Clark was the best fit for Fort Smith.

He said Clark comes in at "a time when we are trying to move this department into a more community-oriented model of policing."

He said he liked Clark because he wanted to reach out to the community and "not get caught up in the warrior mentality." He also said he thought Clark was a strong person to whom people in the community could talk.

"I am honored that the city and citizens of Fort Smith have asked me to serve as the next police chief," Clark said in a news release from the city. "I am looking forward to meeting as many of the citizens as I can and delivering quality police services to the community."

Clark was hired at a time when Fort Smith residents were complaining about the lack of cultural diversity in city departments, leading to the formation of a committee to look for ways to attract more minorities to police and other city jobs.

A starting date for Clark in his new position hadn't been set as of Monday, Geffken said. Starting salary will be $98,000 a year.

Clark served on the Pine Bluff Police Department beginning in 1982. He served as chief from Feb. 7, 2000, to Aug. 13, 2002, when he was fired by the Pine Bluff Civil Service Commission on allegations of sexual misconduct with a female police officer.

Clark sued the city of Pine Bluff, the civil service commission, then-Mayor Dutch King and others in federal court, claiming racial discrimination.

The suit was settled out of court in 2005. The settlement nullified the commission's firing of Clark and he received $62,500, the payment split between the city and Arkansas Municipal League. It left him free to apply for the job again.

He was among 12 applicants for the chief's job in 2006 but was not chosen as a finalist.

Despite the firing, over which Geffken said he and Clark had a thorough discussion, Geffken said he was satisfied with hiring Clark. He noted that before he was hired by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2003, Clark underwent a rigorous background check.

Clark served with the Treasury Department until 2008, when he moved to Albany, Ga. He went to work with the Police Department there in December 2009. He rose through the ranks to deputy chief for the Investigations Bureau before retiring in March.

Clark was chosen for Fort Smith police chief from among 33 applicants who responded to a national search. He was among five finalists who met with two panels of Fort Smith officials and residents who gave their thoughts on the candidates to Geffken before he decided.

Geffken declined to say whether any of the panelists recommended Clark.

Clark succeeds Kevin Lindsey who served as Fort Smith's police chief from January 2007 to March 2. He resigned for making a racially inappropriate comment during a meeting that a city employee overheard and reported to her supervisor who reported to then-acting City Administrator Jeff Dingman.

Lindsey later announced the resignation before a crowd of 80 Fort Smith residents, police officers and city officials.

State Desk on 10/11/2016

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