Although the full 2nd quarter crime stats won’t be released till the first part of next month, stats for April and May show they are trending in the right direction. The figures for the first two months of the quarter, obtained by Deltaplex News pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, were up year over year in April, but down in May. There were two homicides this April, compared to only one in April of 2025. That homicide was in the early morning hours of April 18th, 2025, when police were called to W. 30th Avenue to a report of an unresponsive male, later identified as Asa Stewart. Police arrested Quan Turner for the murder and he is scheduled to go to trial next month in the Fifth Division Courtroom. A second suspect, Ka’Juan Madkins was picked up in May of last year and is still awaiting trial following extensive motions filed by his defense. This April, Zykelon Ginger and Otis Tyler were killed in a shooting at 14th and Apple. Keshawn Franklin was arrested and charged with the murders, prompting a rare police press conference the following day, where it was announced that Franklin will face Federal charges. Rape cases in April were down slightly YOY, with 3 reported in April 2025 and only 2 this April. The biggest surge was in aggravated assaults, which were up 30% from April of 2025 to April of 2026. There were 35 aggravated assaults reported in April of this year. The total number of crimes reported in April of 2026 was 250, up from 231 in April of last year.
The May stats show two homicides in May. That was on May 7th at a gas station on Blake Street. DeShawn Sanders and VonKavious Briggs were arrested and are awaiting trial. Sanders was also involved in a shooting incident in 2019 in Jonesboro. The two victims in that shooting were Tamarcus McMiller and Markevious Boales. Miller was pronounced dead at the scene, while Boales died at JRMC. Last month, robberies were up YOY, but aggravated assaults and simple assaults plummeted. Overall, crime in May of 2026 was down 26% compared to May, 2025.
During her State of The City address earlier this year, Mayor Vivian Flowers said that city would be opening five police substations in high crime areas in 2026. Deltaplex News has learned that the first to open will be at 13th and Cherry, with a future location 3000 S. Ash Street. Deltaplex News will continue to update the progress.
