Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott’s taxpayer-funded PR apparatus announced today a new contract with police and firefighters that the new head of the Fraternal Order of Police told the City Board last night had been reached.

The release:

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On Wednesday, Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. announced, for the first time in the
City’s history, one-year employee agreements accepted by unified negotiation teams for both fire and police employees—the International Association of Fire Fighters and Fire Leaders Actively Maintaining Equality (FLAME) for fire fighters and the Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police and Black Police Officers Association (BPOA) for police officers. Both agreements also include minority representation from FLAME and BPOA for all contract discussions during the 2021 agreement period.

“Bringing minority organizations to the negotiating table for police and fire contract talks has never happened before, and I’m proud of the work of our team to bring it to fruition,” Mayor Scott said. “We are charting a new course of unity for Little Rock, one that insures all voices are represented.”

The unity was not much in evidence last night, when Scott angrily tried to shut down criticism of his police chief Keith Humphrey by critics including the new and former head of the Little Rock Fraternal Order of Police.

I’ve asked for terms of the new agreement.

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The city last night approved a budget reduced from the previous year because of the pandemic’s impact. Scott’s campaign promise two years ago to increase the size of the police force by 100 officers hasn’t been mentioned in a good while.

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