Ex-Little Rock officer elected Pulaski County sheriff

Helping inmates goal for Higgins

Pulaski County sheriff’s candidates Carl Minden (left) and Eric Higgins laugh after confusion over who would answer a question first during the Pulaski County Democratic candidate debate at South on Main in Little Rock in March.
Pulaski County sheriff’s candidates Carl Minden (left) and Eric Higgins laugh after confusion over who would answer a question first during the Pulaski County Democratic candidate debate at South on Main in Little Rock in March.

A former Little Rock assistant police chief was elected to the top law enforcement spot in Pulaski County on Tuesday night, beating his primary opponent, a 20-year veteran of the county agency.

With all 137 precincts reporting, unofficial returns were:

Eric Higgins 15,863

Carl Minden 13,073

Minden and Higgins are Democrats. With no Republican challenger, Tuesday was effectively election day.

[ELECTIONS COVERAGE: Find all results + stories]

"I'm excited about it," Higgins said, reached by phone. "I appreciate everyone who went out and voted for me."

"I look forward to getting to the sheriff's office and getting to do the things I talked about," such as re-entry programs and connecting with the "community," he added. Higgins said Minden had called and texted to congratulate him.

As sheriff, Higgins will oversee the largest sheriff's office and the largest county jail in Arkansas. The department has about 400 sworn law enforcement officers, plus about 130 civilian personnel. The jail houses 1,210 beds.

Enforcement deputies for the sheriff's office patrol roughly 570 square miles of unincorporated county land, home to about 50,000 people.

The job, now a four-year term, pays $111,875 annually. The current sheriff, Doc Holladay, will step down at the end of the year.

Higgins, 53, served as assistant chief of police for more than a decade and retired from the Little Rock department in 2015, after a 30-year career.

Currently, he volunteers for the Exodus Project, which provides tools and training for men and women in Arkansas Community Correction. He also is the director of outcomes assessment with the national OK Program, a mentorship program that targets young black men.

Higgins also previously taught criminal-justice courses at Arkansas Baptist College. He was endorsed by the Little Rock Black Police Officers Association and by several prominent state legislators, including Democratic state Sens. Joyce Elliott and Linda Chesterfield.

In debates and interviews before the primary, Higgins billed himself as a change agent for the department.

Minden, a 46-year-old major at the sheriff's office, was endorsed by Holladay, former Pulaski County Sheriff Randy Johnson, and Little Rock's and North Little Rock's fraternal orders of police.

Reached by phone at 10 p.m. Tuesday, with then only 56 percent of precincts voting, Minden said he was "surprised" by the results.

"Honestly, I'm disappointed about what we're seeing so far," Minden said.

Minden started in law enforcement in 1995 and was hired by the sheriff's office in 1998. In his 20-year career with the agency, he's assumed many roles.

Currently, he oversees criminal investigations, administrative services and media relations. Previously, Minden commanded the crisis negotiation unit and served as agency spokesman. He also spearheaded the prescription drug take-back program and managed the construction of the shooting range.

Metro on 05/23/2018

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