Cracking down on crime: Arkansas police, lawmakers team up in effort to clean up streets, reduce crime

CRITTENDEN COUNTY, Ark. (WMC) – A major crackdown on crime is underway in Eastern Arkansas. State Police and prosecutors are teaming up with local law enforcement to get the bad guys off the street and in jail.

A former criminal defense attorney elected as the top prosecutor for Clay, Craighead, Crittenden, Greene, Mississippi, and Poinsett Counties told Action News 5 that her constituents asked her to get tough with criminals. Despite limited resources and manpower, she and her team are making good on a campaign promise to protect the citizenry.

“I hope it sends the message: don’t come here because we’re ready to go,” said Sonia F. Hagood, Prosecuting Attorney for Arkansas’ Second Judicial District.

Hagood recently announced her office won four First Degree Murder convictions in one day.

“I want those people who want to commit crimes in my district,” said Hagood, “to know that if I prep that case for trial, you’re not getting a plea deal on the last day. It’s going to trial, and the community is going to decide what your punishment is.”

On Friday, January 12, a Mississippi County jury found three Blytheville residents guilty of killing Javion Sims in a gun battle where more than 75 rounds were fired in a residential area on a sunny afternoon in April of 2021.

Joel Williams was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Willavontae Westmorland and Tyree Johnson each received a sentence of 35 years.

In Crittenden County, a jury found Jotavion Ross guilty of killing 21-year-old Samuel Johnson in December 2022, shooting him three times in front of his West Memphis home. Ross received a sentence of 41 years in prison.

Hagood praised the detective work done by the West Memphis Police Department in cracking the case. WMPD Sgt. Matthew Jarrett said criminal convictions like Ross’ will help officers solve more cases in the future.

“That will make us work harder,” Sgt. Jarrett told Action News 5, “because we know prosecutors are doing something, and this also gets a message out to the community that something is happening to the bad guys, don’t be afraid to come forward. Don’t be a silent victim.”

West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon, in a statement provided to Action News 5 said:

This week, Arkansas State Police saturated Crittenden County, along with West Memphis Police and Marion Police. 

In eight hours, ASP said the East Arkansas Operation resulted in the arrests of 245 people, including 75 criminal arrests and 13 DWI arrests.

ASP said they also seized eight firearms and narcotics.

Up next for Attorney Hagood is getting Crittenden and Mississippi Counties designated high-drug trafficking areas to secure more federal funding.

“Memphis is, and all along the border of my district is,” she said, “designated high drug trafficking areas. With that comes a lot of gun violence, gang violence, and things like that, but for whatever reason we got left out. But in Crittenden and Mississippi Counties, there is a different kind of criminal. They’re very smart and they know the system.”

Hagood said police and prosecutors are also working with other agencies, leveraging community resources, to make sure kids stay in school, off the street, and away from a life of crime. She said they’re taking a multilevel approach to addressing what ails the community.

A critical piece of that is letting criminals know there are repercussions if they get caught.

“They’re going to pay the consequences for it,” said Sgt. Jarrett, “if you do the crime, you’re going to have to do the crime. With these convictions, and hopefully, many more to come, it will continue to send that message.”

Arkansas State Police has provided extensive information on the crime operation which can be found on their website.

The office of Prosecuting Attorney Hagood also released the following:

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