Jonesboro, Craighead County officials ready for new E-911 center

About five years ago Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver and city Police Chief Rick Elliott had a conversation. The city and Craighead County as a whole needed significant upgrades to its Enhanced 911 (E-911) center and other public safety response measures.

After years of planning and coordinating, the city finally broke ground in July on its new Real Time Crime Center. Copenhaver told Talk Business & Politics the Center will be a significant asset for the city once it’s in operation. The project is expected to cost about $5.9 million, according to the city.

The new center will serve as the central hub for emergency communications, public safety technology, and coordinated response efforts. The facility will house E-911 operations alongside related public safety functions, creating a modern, centralized center that enhances communication between dispatchers, police officers, firefighters, and other first responders. 

“In public safety, every second dictates an outcome,” Elliot said. “This facility represents a monumental leap forward for our department. Our field officers and first responders will have virtual backup from the moment a call is placed — armed with live data, video intelligence, and situational awareness needed to do their jobs effectively — and get home safely at the end of their shift.”

Elliott said the new center will have advanced technologies that will aid first responders. He said field officers, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and others won’t be walking “blindly” into emergency situations.

The project is designed to support Jonesboro and Craighead County’s public safety needs over the next 20 to 30 years by providing resilient infrastructure capable of adapting to evolving technology and increasing service demands. The facility is expected to become fully operational by winter 2027. The long-term campus vision includes a new police administration building to be connected once funding is secured as the next phase of the project.

“This project is a significant investment in the safety of our residents,” said Copenhaver. “Investing in state-of-the-art communications technology and a modernized operations center is necessary to ensure our first responders have the tools, space, and technology needed to protect our community today, and for generations to come.”

Jonesboro received $3.5 million in federal funds for public safety needs related to the center earlier this year. Those funds were specifically for equipment in the center. The process involved with obtaining federal funding can be lengthy but critical given Jonesboro’s limited funding resources when compared to other Arkansas cities, according to Jonesboro Grants Director Chris Richey.

“When it comes to securing federal resources, persistence is vital. The process can feel cumbersome, but strong relationships with our lawmakers help ensure that critical federal funding makes its way back to Jonesboro,” he said.

The funding will add to $500,000 secured last year for public safety technology enhancements.

In June 2025, the Jonesboro City Council approved $17.5 million in franchise fee backed revenue bonds to invest in critical city projects as part of the Destination 100K initiative. Among the approved projects is a new facility for the E-911/Real Time Crime Center operations. The two programs are housed in three separate facilities, one of which is the Jonesboro Justice Complex that has been vacant because of structural concerns in areas of the building.

With 122,918 total calls dispatched in 2025, including 93,099 non-emergency calls, 11,651 calls for the Jonesboro Fire Department, 3,321 rural fire calls, and 13,550 medical calls, the call volume continues to rise as the population increases. The new E-911 facility will aid in a centralized location for public safety services within Craighead County, officials said.

“Dispatch is the first link in the public safety chain,” said Jonesboro Fire Chief Martin Hamrick. “Improvements in facilities and technology helps to improve our response times — in turn, the public gets the help it needs in an emergency sooner. A fast response is crucial to mitigate the emergency.”

The facility will be built on Monroe Avenue near the city’s downtown area. The center will include shared conference space for crime eenter and dispatch personnel to interact when the need arises, administrative office space for both programs.

“This is an exciting day for all of us,” said E-911 Director Ronnie Sturch. “After years of working toward this goal, it is truly inspiring to see the center coming to fruition. Our team works with great purpose and is proud to serve our community every day.”

The center is one of several strategic capital improvement projects funded through the city’s $18.5 revenue bond initiative.

“As mayor, it has been priority to get this facility built, but with a limited tax rate we had to be creative,” Copenhaver said. “We worked with our federal delegation, city council and finance team to secure grants, appropriations and allocated non-taxpayer dollars toward a revenue bond. Today, those years of focused effort have brought us to this point. In a matter of months this facility will set a new standard for public safety in Arkansas.”