Westside Community Guide

8 – 2023 Westside Community Guide ■ DECATUR: a safe and welcoming community Stephen Grizzle has been in Decatur since 2018, and has been the town's police chief since 2020. He's enthusiastic about Decatur's growth and unique community spirit. "Even in the short time I have been in this city, I have seen growth and how amazing the people that live here are," Grizzle said. "Every city has its share of issues, but Decatur folks seem to work through the problems, which makes them stronger as a community. I believe Decatur has great things in store, and can't wait to see more growth of industry as the growth of residential continues." Grizzle pointed to the improvements made to the two bridges on Highway 59, the downtown business owners who are remodeling and making changes, and the continued expansion of Cooks Venture, a farm-to-table, heritage meat, home delivery business. In addition, new housing developments, including new subdivisions and townhomes, are being built to accommodate new residents. "People seem to want to live in a nice peaceful city, but still be close enough to jobs supplied by Walmart, J.B. Hunt, Simmons Chicken, or other large companies in the area," he said. Grizzle noted that with residential growth comes business opportunity. "Decatur, like all the cities around Decatur, is growing and the more it grows, the more businesses will want to be part of that growth," he said. "ere are over 9,600 vehicles that daily come through Decatur on State Highway 59, per the state census traffic counter." In spite of the growth, Decatur still maintains its "down-to- earth, home feeling," according to Grizzle, making it a great community to live and work in. In addition, the town has the protection of a proactive police force that's keeping up with the city's growth. "Our police force is proactive, meaning we are out in our neighborhoods, on the main streets, and generally everywhere being present to deter crime, assist folks when possible, and answer calls for help," Grizzle said. "Some agencies are reactive departments, which means they seem to wait for a crime or complaint to come in before they try solving or slowing those complaints down. e Decatur Police Department is trying to grow, to stay ahead of the growth the city, so we are never short of personnel to answer calls for help if needed." Grizzle values the support of a grateful community. "I enjoy the smiles, the greetings when going into shops or businesses, and the overall gratefulness when we go to answer calls for help," he said. "ere will always be a few out there that complain about officers stopping too many people, or being too strict on what the law says. But most of our residents know that we do the best we possibly can, we only stop those that are violating federal or state laws, and they seem to be grateful and support us when support is needed." Grizzle invites everyone that wants to be part of the Decatur community "to come and join," and welcomes those who are visiting to "enjoy our parks, lake, or just enjoy the small-town feeling." by Karen RIce Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Decatur police chief Steve Grizzle stands next to Emillie Walker (right) and her newborn daughter, Coraline (in a blanket), and a sibling in front of the Decatur Police Department sign in Decatur. Grizzle delivered baby Coroline at the police station Dec. 8, 2022, when Walker and a friend got lost on the way to Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville and spotted the only place they could get immediate help.

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