Police and Fire Departments

The Fayetteville Police are on the job 24 hours a day, responding to calls for service, enforcing traffic laws, investigating auto accidents, conducting preliminary criminal investigations, and apprehending criminals inside the City of Fayetteville. 

The Arkansas Highway Patrol, a division of the Arkansas State Police, patrol the state highways.  

In an Emergency: Call 911

If you have an emergency, call 911. This will connect you to a City Dispatcher, who can help you with whatever emergency you may have, be it a police, fire, or medical emergency.

Smart 911

Smart 911 is a free service for Arkansas citizens, allowing them to create a Safety Profile for their household that can provide information to 911 and emergency-management officials during an emergency.  Smart911 offers first responders additional information during a 911 call that enhances their emergency response and provides key information to emergency management to better plan for and respond to disasters. Click here to sign up for Smart 911. 

For Non-Emergency Incidents

To report a non-emergency incident, you can call the non-emergency report line:  479-587-3555.  
You may also report a n on-emergency incident using our Online Police Reporting System.

For more information about the City of Fayetteville Police Department, click here. 

Traffic: What to do if you get pulled over

There are a number of reasons you might be pulled over when you are driving your car.  Police pull over drivers who exceed the speed limit, fail to follow the rules of the road, are driving erratically, have an expired tag on their car, or other violations.  You must also drive with a seatbelt on, and it is against the law in Arkansas to text on a cell phone while driving, or to use a handheld cell phone for drivers age 20 and under. 

If a police car flashes its lights behind you, you should pull over to a safe location on the side of the road and wait for the officer to get out of his or her car and come to your window. 

• Turn off your engine and roll down your window all the way as the officer approaches your car.  Do not get out of your car unless the officer asks you to.
• Keep your hands visible and don’t make sudden moves. Police officers are wary of the possibility of sudden attack and may think you are reaching for a weapon.
• The officer will ask you for your driver’s license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. Retrieve these from your bag, glove compartment, or wallet slowly and deliberately. 
• Be polite and courteous. Don’t argue or get upset.
• You don’t have to consent to a search. Unless the officer has "probable cause,"  meaning that they can see (or smell) that you have something illegal in the car, they need your permission to search your car, but you do not have to give it. You may simply say politely, "I do not consent to a search." 
• If you receive a traffic citation (a "ticket"), you will be asked to sign it. This is not an admission of guilt. 
• Be careful merging with traffic afterward, especially on the highway.