Officers armed with military rifles, some with laser sights, have been stopping and
questioning passers-by in a neighborhood plagued by violence that's been under
a 24-hour curfew for a week. On Tuesday, the Helena-West Helena City Council voted
9-0 to allow police to expand that program into any area of the city, despite a warning
from a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas that the police stops were unconstitutional.
The area under curfew, in what used to be a West Helena neighborhood, sits among
abandoned homes and occupied residences in disrepair.White signs on large blue
barrels warn those passing by that the area remains under curfew by order of the mayor.
The order was scheduled to end at 3 p.m. Tuesday, but Valley said the City Council's
vote would allow police to have the same powers across Helena-West Helena.
Among the curfew operation's arrests, 10 came from felony charges, including the
arrest of two people carrying both drugs and weapons, Fielder said. The police chief
said the officers in the field carry military-style M-16 or M-4 rifles, some equipped
with laser sights. Other officers carry short-barrel shotguns. Many dealing
crack cocaine and marijuana in the city carry pistols and AK-47 assault rifles, he said.
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