31 Jul 2024 Darrick in the driver’s seat

By Lori Dunn

Darrick Simmons has never shied away from a hard job.

Simmons, an investigator for the Conway City Attorney’s Office, has also worked as a house parent at a children’s home, a juvenile intake officer and a patrol officer for the Mayflower Police Department. He began working for Conway City Attorney Charles Finkenbinder three years ago, and a large part of his job is investigating traffic violations involving school buses.

“There was an opening for an investigator’s spot, so I took a leap of faith and applied,” Simmons said.

His job includes investigating misdemeanor crimes, including ones involving school buses. “People don’t always respect the flashing red lights, and it could cause a child to potentially get hit,” Simmons said.

Each school bus in Faulkner County is equipped with cameras that can record vehicles they meet. Rear cameras capture the license plate numbers, and bus drivers fill out a violation report that captures the date and time of the incident and a description of the driver. Simmons can download the video and run the tags to find the owner of the vehicle and see their driving record. “Sometimes they get a warning letter but sometimes a summons is issued,” he said. If the driver is young, Simmons makes a point to educate them about traffic laws.

“Sometimes, they really don’t know the laws,” he said. He sees his job as part of a community-wide effort to help keep children safe. “The parents send their child to school and it’s the responsibility of the community to make sure that child comes home, and I take that very seriously.

Simmons grew up in Monticello (Drew County). He worked at the Crossett, Arkansas, Police Department as a patrol officer but moved to Conway after he met his wife, Shameka. He was a patrol officer in Mayflower and also worked for Faulkner County District Court at the same time. “I would work in district court until 4:30 p.m. and then change into my uniform and work patrol until 1 a.m. in the morning,” he said.

A big motivator for Simmons is his 11-year-old son, Damirean. Simmons and his first wife adopted Damirean as a newborn and now co-parent him. “I’ve always wanted to help people but there is more to it. I’ve always wanted to be a positive role model for my son,” he said.

Simmons said he has learned a lot from working for Finkenbinder, who agrees that the goal is not just to punish someone for a violation but to educate them. Every violator is not charged, but everyone is educated on the laws. “Violators come in all shapes and sizes,” Finkenbinder said. “What Darrick does for us is to help find out why someone violates the law. The goal is to get people thinking about safety.”

To that end, the pair have written an Arkansas School Bus Safety Law brochure that is distributed to offenders and anyone wanting more information. They are available at the Conway City Attorney’s Office.