 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2024
VIEW ORIGINAL SIGNED STATEMENT BELOW
On Saturday, Dec. 7, Fort Smith experienced its 75th pedestrian collision and, tragically, the third fatality this year as a result. Each number in this growing tally represents a life altered or a life lost—a family grieving, a community shaken, injuries that may follow the surviving victims for the rest of their lives.
As Chief, I must not only acknowledge this unacceptable reality but act decisively to change it.
We have witnessed the devastating consequences of unsafe roads, distracted driving, and jaywalking. These tragedies cannot continue. The Fort Smith Police Department has responded—and will continue to do so—with a full-scale commitment to improving safety.
We have increased traffic enforcement across the city, established a dedicated 8-Officer Traffic Unit, and launched public awareness campaigns to educate drivers, pedestrians, and our youngest citizens on the critical importance of traffic and pedestrian safety.
Additionally, we have partnered with the Fort Smith Schools Police Department to teach children how to navigate streets safely, collaborated with city departments and state agencies to reduce congestion and improve sidewalks and roadways, and initiated driver education programs for our high school students to prepare future drivers for their responsibilities.
Today, we are taking another decisive step: adopting a no-tolerance policy on jaywalking, particularly on our busiest streets and roads. This is not about punishment; it is about prevention.
Jaywalking—crossing the street in an illegal or careless manner—has contributed to a nearly 35% increase in pedestrian collisions that happen outside of intersections from 2023 to 2024.
Examples of jaywalking include crossing the street without using a crosswalk, disregarding walk signals, dashing across the street against a red light, and meandering across a busy road instead of waiting at a crosswalk.
Contrary to popular opinion, pedestrians do not have the right-of-way outside of a crosswalk. Under Arkansas law §27-51-1204, pedestrians crossing at other than crosswalks must yield the right-of-way to vehicles, and crossing between adjacent intersections with traffic control signals is prohibited except in marked crosswalks.
Jaywalking is a crime because it endangers lives, and enforcing this law is essential to protecting both pedestrians and drivers.
The pain of these losses weighs heavily on all of us, but we must channel that pain into action. We must demand safer roads, safer behaviors, and a shared commitment to protecting the lives of everyone in Fort Smith.
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