Fear and Loathing in Paragould, ArkansasMark Daniels, Contributor Thompson was using Acostaa prominent Mexican-American political activist and attorneyas a central source for the story, and the two found it difficult for a brown-skinned Mexican to talk openly with a white reporter in the racially tense atmosphere of Los Angeles, California. The two needed a more comfortable place to discuss the story and decided to take advantage of a Sports Illustrated magazine offer to write photograph captions for the annual Mint 400 desert race being held in Las Vegas from 2123 March. (Source) Recent reports of plans by the City of Paragould (Arkansas) Police Chief and Mayor to deploy heavily armedSWAT TEAMS on the streets of Paragould, Arkansas in an effort to combat a recent increase in crime is similarly disturbing and has been met with both local and international outrage from the public. Rita Sklar, executive director of ACLU-Arkansas, said that aspects of Paragould Police Chief Todd Stovalls plan to have officers dressed in SWAT gear and armed with AR-15 assault rifles demanding ID from citizens in high-crime areas shows that he has zero understanding of Constitutional rights, period. Meanwhile, the Paragould PD issued a statement cancelling further town hall meetings on the proposal, citing public safety concerns after a growing backlash about the proposal. Read Full Article What few people are talking about is the meth problem in ParagouldWe are faced with an out of control Police Chief who has not only threatened to violate our Constitutional Rightswhat most people dont realize is the fact that his brother who works in the IT Department is already building a database of information on each citizen without obtaining a warrant, stated a concerned citizen. The Police Department is understaffedworking at the same levels as 10-15 years agoMaybe there is a mismanagement of resources at the city and county levels. We simply want answersthe recent statement of clarification posted on the Pargould Police Departments website (http://paragouldpolice.org/press_view.php?id=82) does nothing to allay the fears stoked by the Police Chief and Mayor Mike Gaskillthe statement is mere sophistry presented to make what Stovall said appear acceptable, according to another local resident. Another important aspect of the recent problems plaguing Pargould is apparently rooted in racism, according to one outspoken individual. Racism is alive and well in Paragould and the surrounding communitiesWe dont want our police force used to profile our citizens, he stated. The Mayors Office and the Police Departments Public Information Officer have refused requests for an interview. The only interviews granted to local media were with local corporate television stations who naturally failed to ask the right questions. The local corporate media, with few exceptions, tends to help local politicians cover up or gloss over their mistakes. I contacted members of the City Council who either refused to comment or made statements such as I dont really know whats going on. A local resident reported that an impasse exists between both the Police Department and the City Council, as well as the Sheriff and Quorum Courtbudgetary mismanagement is an issue worth exploring. Many residents are calling for the resignation of Police Chief Stovall and Mayor Gaskill. If they dont resign, we will make sure the Mayor does NOT get re-elected, stated a Paragould resident. Unless Mayor Gaskill schedules a meeting with the citizens of Paragould soon, they plan to organize their own town hall meetings to discuss these important issues. Political activists from the around the state and nation are also planning to schedule a Rally in Paragould to protest both the governments plans to violate the United States Constitution and the refusal of the government officials to adequately address the concerns expressed by the citizens of Paragould and the American people, in general. What seems to be missing from the corporate media reports, following Stovalls inflammatory remarks, is a recent article in a local newspaper about Stovalls use of volunteers to strengthen the number of crime fighters in Paragould. Apparently, the Reserve Unit, includes Stovalls brother (IT Department) who is allegedly building a database on Paragould citizens who have NOT committed a crime. Stovall has allegedly authorized his own brother to build the database on Paragould citizens, without direct oversight from a trained member of the Police Department (CID) and most importantly, without obtaining a warrant. Other officers in the PPDs first reserve class include two former full-time officers, Brent Cox and Chris Rannals; Dr. Len Kemp and his son, Justin, who is training to be a nurse practitioner; and the police chiefs brother, Shane Stovall, who works as the citys information technology manager. In that capacity, Shane Stovall already works alongside investigators to help gather evidence for cyber crimes, but as a certified reserve officer, Todd said his brother could take the time to dig deeper into those cases without having to always have a full-time officer present. RELATED ACTIVIST POST ARTICLE: Mark Daniels is an Arkansas based political activist and founder of Global Political Awakeningwhere this article first appeared linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 