ROGERS TO MAKE OFFER ON GEAR TO FIGHT DRUGS

ROGERS -- Rogers officials said they plan to submit a formal offer today to
settle a year-long dispute over more than $100,000 in drug fighting
equipment left over from the now-defunct 19th Judicial District Drug Task
Force.

Under the deal, the Rogers Police Department would give equipment to the
state drug director's office that originally cost more than $50,000, plus
$20,000 in cash. Rogers would keep items that originally cost $68,000.

It's unclear how much the items are worth now, because some were bought
several years ago and have depreciated in value.

The items the city would keep include a night-vision scope, night-vision
goggles, audio and video surveillance equipment and radios. All of the
items except one, a $30,000 surveillance camera, were bought with city
money, Keck said.

The city would return more than 20 items, including pistols, shotguns,
miniature cameras, fax machines and a typewriter.

Keck e-mailed the proposal to City Attorney Ben Lipscomb after a meeting
Thursday morning. Lipscomb said he plans to send the proposal to the
attorney general's office today.

"We agreed that it was more than fair, so we decided to go ahead and do
it," Keck said.

State Drug Director Bill Hardin has been asking Keck to turn over the
equipment since the Rogers-based task force disbanded last year. Keck
contends he should be able to keep some of it because the gear was bought
with federal grant money and city funds.

A spokesman for Hardin referred calls to the office of Attorney General
Mark Pryor, who has threatened to sue the city to recover the equipment.
Pryor spokesman Jim Pitcock wwould not say whether the attorney general
would consider a compromise.

The proposal is the city's second attempt to settle the matter. Hardin
rejected a request by Keck in February to keep a handful of items he
considers essential and return the rest to the state. In both proposals,
the items the city would keep are the same, except that Keck agreed in the
latest proposal to return a night-vision camera that originally cost $20,000.

The task force disbanded in 2001 after the Benton County sheriff's office
and the Bentonville Police Department withdrew their officers.

Also on Thursday, an auditor with the state Legislative Audit Division
visited the Police Department to inventory the equipment.