Jonesboro police report year‑one Entertainment District activity: 965 calls, 146 criminal reports; rangers provide relief

The City of Jonesboro police chief presented a one‑year summary of activity inside the city’s Entertainment District and said officers logged 965 calls for service from last August through this September under the district’s geofence. Of those, the chief said 146 calls generated criminal reports; 18 were alcohol-related (including DWI or public intoxication) and 30 were drug-related.

"Overall, during from last August till September this year, police received 965 calls for service in the entertainment district area," the Police Chief said, noting the count includes traffic stops, pedestrian issues and welfare checks because the department used a geofence to collect the calls. The chief added that while calls are up in absolute numbers, he did not observe a pronounced spike in criminal activity across the board and said DWI incidents appear to be down, crediting greater use of rideshare and cabs.

A committee member asked whether the district-only geofence could include incidents that occurred outside the downtown walking area; the chief confirmed the department’s data pull used the established geofence and therefore included any incident within that boundary. The chief offered to provide further analysis if committee members wanted it.

Committee members also discussed the newly implemented park ranger program. The chief said rangers, now deployed after a training phase, have provided relief by handling welfare checks and some downtown and park calls that previously required a sworn officer. "We're starting to get some relief in that respect," the chief said.

No public comment on the Entertainment District was recorded during the meeting; the committee moved on to public comment and adjournment after the presentation.