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Fayetteville police directed to limit misdemeanor arrests due to jail overcrowding

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Fayetteville police officers have been instructed to limit physical arrests for most misdemeanor offenses due to overcrowding at the Washington County Jail. Instead, officers are encouraged to issue citations unless the offense falls under specific exceptions. Under the directive issued on Feb. 24, 2025, by Chief of Police Mike Reynolds, the following misdemeanor offenses will still require jail detention: Alcohol-related charges – Individuals will be held for eight hours unless a responsible party picks them up. Violent charges – Individuals will be held for 12 hours unless they post bond. 10 or more failure-to-appear warrants – These individuals will not be released by citation. For all other misdemeanor offenses, officers were told they should avoid making physical arrests unless absolutely necessary. Budweiser Clydesdales returning to University of Arkansas 'Unless an urgent situation requires it, arrests outside these parameters create unnecessary work for both our officers and WCSO jail staff,' the memorandum read. 'This diverts valuable time and resources. Instead, whenever possible, issue citations to maintain visibility, availability and public safety.' Some offenses still require immediate booking, fingerprinting and photographing, regardless of the circumstances: Battery in the third degree (ACA 5-13-203) Domestic battering in the third degree (ACA 5-26-305) Violation of an order of protection (ACA 5-53-134(b)(1)) DWI (alcohol, drugs, underage, etc.) (ACA 5-65-103) Officers still must document all arrests, whether by citation or physical detention, in an incident report. 25-005-Directive-on-Misdemeanor-ArrestsDownload According to the memo, the Fayetteville District Court will ensure that individuals cited for Class A misdemeanors are fingerprinted and photographed only after a guilty plea, no contest plea or conviction. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.