Van Buren County Sheriff's Office

08/19/2026

‼️UPDATE‼️ Found safe and no longer missing!!!! Thank you everyone that shared.
After an initial investigation the Sheriffs Office is asking for your help.
💥Missing💥 Jason Turner 48 year old white male reported missing in Van Buren County on August 17, 2026. Mr. Turner was last heard from on August 11, 2026 via a telephone call. His location at the time of the call is unknown. Jason could possibly be driving a maroon 2002 Chevrolet Impala with Arkansas license plate number BIE 73H. If anyone has seen or heard from Mr. Turner please contact Investigator Thomas with the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at 501-745-3838 ext.112.

08/04/2026

07/13/2026

Without asking for more tax dollars and continuing to operate within the budget, Sheriff Koonce was able to purchase a new detainee transport van to better and safely serve the Jails needs. As promised, we continue to work with neighboring agencies such as Searcy County Sheriffs Office by donating our old Van to them by having a County executive order issued.

06/30/2026

NHTSA Reminds Drivers to
Plan for a Sober Ride this Fourth of July

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reminding drivers that drinking and driving is deadly and never an option. Join NHTSA and Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office in sharing this message for a safe celebration of Independence Day: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Every year, the days around and including the Fourth of July holiday rank as one of the deadliest periods on the nation’s roads. In 2024, there were 579 people killed in traffic crashes during the holiday period. From 2020 to 2024, there were 1,724 driver fatalities of the 2,719 total traffic fatalities. Thirty-eight percent of those drivers were drunk.

If a driver intends to drink during an Independence Day festivity, he or she should plan ahead for a safe ride home by securing a designated driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment clouds a person’s judgment and endangers others on the road.
If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving, friends should be proactive — take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home. If anyone spots a drunk driver, contact local law enforcement.

Drive 100% sober, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. For more information on impaired driving, visit NHTSA.gov/ImpairedDriving.

06/11/2026

💥MISSING💥
Kathleen Patnode, 79 years old from Dennard has been reported missing.

She was last seen in the area of Peyton Creek Road. She possibly left on foot in slippers and a white T-shirt.

If you have any information on her whereabouts, please contact the Sheriff's Office at 501-745-2112 and request to speak with Investigator Baysinger.

06/11/2026

Attention: The previous website, myfinepayment.com, no longer accepts payments for circuit or felony fines.

To make an online payment, please use:

https://payment.cisarkansas.com/

Thank you!

Secure payment portal for county fine collections and miscellaneous payments

05/29/2026

Skip the seat belt, and you could get stopped -and ticketed. Click it or Ticket.

05/25/2026

Stay Safe. Seat Belts Saves Lives. Buckle Up Every Day. Van Buren County Sheriff's Office is pleased to join the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in urging drivers to buckle up ahead of the Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign. The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs May 18-31, 2026.

Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we'll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Not buckling up could mean a ticket, or worse, risking a life.

In 2024, there were 9,758 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes. The national seat belt use rate in 2024 was 91.2%, which is good - but it can be better. The other 8.8% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.

One of the focuses of the Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data shows a higher number of unrestrained occupant fatalities happen at night (56% between the hours of 6pm. and 5:59am). Of the males killed in crashes in 2023, more than half (53%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 41% were not buckled up.

Buckle Up the Right Way

•Place the shoulder belt across the middle of the chest and away from the neck.
•Lay the lap belt across the hips and not the stomach.
•NEVER place the seat belt behind the back or under arms.

We are asking friends and family to remind each other to buckle up in the front and back seats and to consider changing their habits if they don't. Seat belts save lives, and everyone - front seat and back, child and adult - needs to remember to buckle up.

For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt high-visibility enforcement campaign, please visit www.NHTSA.gov/Clickit

05/19/2026

Come join our team!

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office is looking for part time female detention officers. Stop by and pick up an application.

05/04/2026

Amando Salinas has been missing since July of 2015. He was last seen in Clinton, Arkansas. If you have any information about him, please contact the Van Buren County Sheriff’s Office at (501) 745-2112.