Pinwheels: It"s all about the children

BENTON COUNTY — As 9-year-old Isaiah Tibbs hammered in the post to hold the sign, his grandfather David Engle watched.

“It’s a big deal with Pea Ridge,” Engle with Children’s Advocacy Center said. “They’re really involved.”

“We see the individuals,” Beverly Engle, director of CAC, said.

Mayor Jackie Crabtree said: “This is a great visual to keep this in our minds.”

Placing 416 pinwheels at the fifth police station of the day Monday afternoon, Engle with others from CAC, Pea Ridge police officers and Crabtree, said: “It’s about the children. The praise goes to the locals.”

Police Sgt. Ryan Walker said several members of the department have gone through training including how to handle child abductions.

“If we have any child abuse, we go straight to CAC,” Walker said. “We work very closely with them.”

This is the first year the pinwheels have been placed in Pea Ridge, although the department has been working with CAC for several years now.

“Our officers take every child abuse case to heart, caring about that child and seeking to prevent further abuse,” Walker said. “As such, we continue to train and work closely with CAC in Little Flock to ensure that the need of every child is met.”