Numbers show crime, water emergencies along Spring River town down over last two years

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - The rise in crime across the country hasn’t been seen in one town along the Spring River.

The City of Hardy’s population is around 700, but during the summer months, it could be triple any given day due to tourists.

Police Chief Scott Rose explained the extra tourists cause his department to put in more hours, but according to numbers provided by the police department, calls across the board have been down over the last 18 months.

In 2018, Hardy Police responded to 84 calls for service related to violence, but in 2022, that number dropped to 48.

“We’ve had some incidents. We’ve had some domestics. Our major incidents, our domestics, have really lightened up. I can’t speak for the campgrounds and what’s going on with those, but the calls seem to be getting better,” Chief Rose said.

Violence calls aren’t the only numbers that have fallen, as drowning calls have also dropped.

From 2018-2021, the department responded on average to 2-4 calls regarding a drowning, but in 2022 and so far in 2023, a drowning report is yet to be taken.

With the statistics lower over the last 18 months, residents say they’re happy to see it.

“I think this is a plus for our community, and it makes you comfortable to come to Hardy and visit us,” said area resident Crystal Gray.

Gray said she wants everyone who visits the area to know Hardy is a safe place to stop.

“We want to keep everyone safe. The local residents, businesses, and of course, all the local tourists.”

Rose said he was thankful to the Sharp County Sheriff’s Office and Arkansas State Police, who assist his department in keeping numbers low.

The police chief said it’s a team effort to combat crime in the area.

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