Vian Police Chief Resigns

Vian Police Chief Levi Risley submitted his resignation to the Vian Board of Trustees on Monday. The board accepted the resignation

Risley has been police chief at Vian since July 2015, after the Vian board fired the previous police chief, Alan Ellis. At that time, Vian police were suspended because, it was explained, the officers could not work, by state law, without a supervisor.

Risley said he will remain on the job until June 2.

Risley grew up in Vian, is a 1985 graduate of Vian High School and still has family there.

He began his employment with the Fort Smith Police Department in 1989 as a patrol officer and has held positions as a criminal investigator, major crimes investigator, arson investigator, crime scene investigator, internal affairs investigator, domestic violence investigator and crime analyst. Prior to his promotion in 2009, he was the department's public affairs officer and was assigned to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Risley said that assignment grew out of his position with the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a master sergeant special agent at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1989-90 and retired in 2007.

Risley received the "Officer of the Year" award for 1991 and the Judge Paul Wolf "Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer" award presented by the Fort Smith Jaycees for the same year.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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