Chief Stuart Thomas

At the age of 21, Stuart Thomas came to the Little Rock Police Department to complain about the way the Department handled the break-in of his car. He was challenged to join the Department and make a difference if he thought he could do a better job. Twenty-seven years later he is still working on that challenge, now as Chief of Police.

After joining the Department in 1978, Chief Thomas worked in the Patrol Division until 1983 when he became a Detective in the burglary and then the homicide squads. In October of 1987, he was promoted to Sergeant in the Patrol Division and then later transferred to the Narcotics Unit. In July of 1989, he was transferred to the Administration Division in charge of planning and research. In 1990, Chief Thomas was promoted to Lieutenant and served in the Administration Division until 1992 when he was promoted to Captain in the Administration Division. In February 1995, he was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police--Special Services Bureau. In 2001, Chief Thomas was transferred to Assistant Chief of Police--Administrative Bureau. In January of 2004, Chief Thomas retired from the Police Department. He returned in November as a civilian employee in the position of Administrative Service Manager and in March of 2005 he was appointed as the Department’s 36th Chief of Police.

The City of Little Rock is a growing community and a wonderful place to live. The Little Rock Police Department is an important element of the community and Chief Thomas firmly believes that access to and dialogue with the Department is a key to improving public safety and the quality of life for our citizens.