Accused Arvest Robber in Little Rock Was Out on Parole
By: Lauren Trager, KARK 4 News
Updated: November 15, 2012
The man accused in a wild West Little Rock robbery and shooting Monday has a long rap sheet.
Now, some people argue the parole system should be blamed for why he wasn't still behind bars.
One man says the robbery at the Arvest Bank on Chenal Parkway should never have happened.
The person accused of the crime, he says, should have been in jail instead.
"This is a fight that got brought to my door," said Boyce Hamlet.
Hamlet's loved one was killed by a parolee out of prison.
"It breaks my heart, but every day I have to update it," Hamlet said.
He's started a Facebook page on what he calls "Arkansas' parole crisis."
The most recent example, he writes, is Milton Parker, the suspect in Monday's robbery/shooting.
"Unbelievable, because I had just reported on him on my page in July," Hamlet said.
Including this most recent crime, Parker's been slapped with six charges of theft and robbery in the past three years.
He went to prison in 2010 on an eight-year sentence, but was out on parole just two years later in May of this year.
In July, he was arrested on two more charges, but instead of being held in jail as a parole violator, he was let out.
"Why did they let Milton Parker out to allegedly commit this crime, why?" Hamlet asked.
We took Hamlet's question to the Department of Community Correction (DCC), the agency managing the parole system.
"Second guessing any case is not conducive to moving forward," said Rhonda Sharp with the DCC.
Sharp says she can't comment on Parker's case specifically, but overall, their system works.
"There is always someone who thinks that what you are doing could be done better," she says.
Hamlet, though, disagrees. The Arvest robbery could have been avoided, he says, if the state had done a better job.
"It's time for people to start answering for their actions and Milton Parker is a great place to start," Hamlet said.
Hamlet and some lawmakers we've spoken with are calling for some big changes to the way we parole people in this state.
The DCC says it's always working on making its policies better.
Now, some people argue the parole system should be blamed for why he wasn't still behind bars.
One man says the robbery at the Arvest Bank on Chenal Parkway should never have happened.
The person accused of the crime, he says, should have been in jail instead.
"This is a fight that got brought to my door," said Boyce Hamlet.
Hamlet's loved one was killed by a parolee out of prison.
"It breaks my heart, but every day I have to update it," Hamlet said.
He's started a Facebook page on what he calls "Arkansas' parole crisis."
The most recent example, he writes, is Milton Parker, the suspect in Monday's robbery/shooting.
"Unbelievable, because I had just reported on him on my page in July," Hamlet said.
Including this most recent crime, Parker's been slapped with six charges of theft and robbery in the past three years.
He went to prison in 2010 on an eight-year sentence, but was out on parole just two years later in May of this year.
In July, he was arrested on two more charges, but instead of being held in jail as a parole violator, he was let out.
"Why did they let Milton Parker out to allegedly commit this crime, why?" Hamlet asked.
We took Hamlet's question to the Department of Community Correction (DCC), the agency managing the parole system.
"Second guessing any case is not conducive to moving forward," said Rhonda Sharp with the DCC.
Sharp says she can't comment on Parker's case specifically, but overall, their system works.
"There is always someone who thinks that what you are doing could be done better," she says.
Hamlet, though, disagrees. The Arvest robbery could have been avoided, he says, if the state had done a better job.
"It's time for people to start answering for their actions and Milton Parker is a great place to start," Hamlet said.
Hamlet and some lawmakers we've spoken with are calling for some big changes to the way we parole people in this state.
The DCC says it's always working on making its policies better.
Comments
Our present justice system needs to put it's priorities in the right order. For starters violent crimes need harsher longer sentences, along with theft of personal property.
Randy B.
November 15, 2012 at 1:20 am
Sadly , this is nothing new...a few tears ago our family lost over $10,000.00 to a pair of thieves who were both on parole...one made bail. When convicted of robbing us, he was put on probation...never served another day. The other served a year before being re-paroled. Even "mandatory minimum" sentencing is ignored. It's time for some correction in Corrections.
Peter D.
November 14, 2012 at 6:53 pm
