Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has appointed former Little Rock Police Chief Heath Helton as director of the Arkansas Division on Law Enforcement Standards and Training, the state announced Tuesday. Helton will begin work Monday, Aug. 3, stepping from a high-profile municipal role into a position that shapes training and certification for officers across Arkansas.
Role affects local and statewide policing
The agency Helton will lead, commonly called ADLEST, manages three state law-enforcement academies and sets standards that influence hiring and continued employment for municipal, county and state officers. Oversight is provided by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training — CLEST — which met in a special-called teleconference Tuesday to deliberate and then publicly recommend Helton for the post.
Helton’s resume includes nearly three decades with the Little Rock Police Department, where he served as Recruit Training Sergeant, SWAT Sergeant, and as a commander in the Special Operations and Training divisions. Those roles gave him direct experience with recruit instruction, advanced tactical work and departmental training policy — areas central to ADLEST’s mission.
- Start date: Aug. 3
- Appointing authority: Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders
- Recommendor: Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST)
State Public Safety leaders framed the selection as recognition of Helton’s professional record. Col. Mike Hagar, Arkansas Public Safety secretary, praised Helton’s reputation for "integrity and sound judgment" and called him a "consummate professional."
"Heath is a consummate professional and is known for his integrity and sound judgment," said Col. Mike Hagar.
Transition, continuity and recent leadership
Helton replaces Chris Chapmond, who stepped down in May after serving as ADLEST director since January 2023. State officials noted Chapmond’s work as transformative and praised the team he built. The transition places a well-known Little Rock policing figure in charge of systems that set minimums for certification, decertification and training across Arkansas.
| Position | Details |
|---|---|
| ADLEST director | Oversees academies, officer standards, continuing education |
| CLEST | Commission that oversees ADLEST and makes certification determinations |
For Little Rock, the appointment underscores the city’s ongoing influence in state policing conversations. Helton’s move to ADLEST means a direct line from capital-city operational experience to the agencies that set statewide training priorities. That could affect curriculum emphases, academy operations and certification reviews impacting agencies in Pulaski County and beyond.
Officials said Helton will bring hands-on academy and command experience to ADLEST, and that the agency will continue its work supporting law enforcement agencies across the state. As director, he will be responsible for carrying out ADLEST’s statutory duties and shepherding the agency’s academies and standards into the next training cycle.
The appointment follows CLEST’s executive session and public vote recommending Helton. The governor’s office and the Department of Public Safety announced the appointment as state law-enforcement leadership prepares for the fall training calendar.
