From the Baxter County Sheriff’s Department:
Restitution Milestone
The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office reached a milestone this week, surpassing 4-million dollars in restitution paid to victims of crimes since 2005. This has been a major focus of the Sheriff’s Office personnel during Sheriff Montgomery’s term in office, working with the Parole and Probation Officers, Prosecutors, and Judges to collect court ordered fines and restitution.
“If a person was a victim of a crime, and we are able to investigate, arrest, convict and have a Judge order restitution be paid, the very least we as law enforcement should do is use every means available to us to collect the restitution and pay it back to the victim. Money will not replace the emotional trauma of the crime victim, but it can help. Otherwise, they become a victim a second time.”
There are a few of the criminal cases that go back to the late 1980s, and victims are difficult to find. Every effort is made by Sheriff’s personnel to locate the victim and their family if they are deceased. If the victim or their family cannot be located, the Sheriff’s Office is required by law to send the money with details to the Auditor of the State of Arkansas. Since 2016, only $5,628 representing 19 victims that were unable to be located, and the restitution money was sent to the State.
Sheriff John Montgomery
