Major Safety
Arkansas Highway Police’s Major Jay Thompson protects the state’s infrastructure
By Lacey Thacker Contributing Writer
The Arkansas Highway Police hold four fundraisers each year—two of them
benefitting the Special Olympics of Arkansas and two benefitting the Make-a-Wish Foundation. One of those fundraisers, Cops on Bulls, began five years ago. Law enforcement agencies from across the state come together to make the event a suc- cess, but Major Jay Thompson went a step further last year and actually rode a bull for eight seconds—mainly to encourage other officers to join in. The bulls used are junior bulls somewhat less likely to buck the rider, but still, to ride one takes an above-average commitment to the cause. That commitment to serving the com- munity is, for Major Thompson, the core of his values both in his position with the Highway Police and at home. Thompson has had a distinguished career, beginning with two years spent with
the Pine Bluff Police, where he credits the department with providing some of the best training any law enforcement officer could receive. After twelve additional years in Pine Bluff as part of the Highway Police, he was transferred back to Saline County, close to where he and his wife were born and raised. He was soon pro- moted to motor carrier safety inspector, where he performed compliance reviews by going into trucking companies with poor safety ratings and looking at the inter- nal requirements—hours of service, maintenance, drug testing and all the other parts that go into ensuring drivers and their vehicles are safe. It was in that role, Thompson says, he realized enforcement was just one part of the bigger picture of safety. The office behind the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department
where Thompson spends much of his time is pleasant, if unremarkable—a window sheds sunlight into the space, and a desk takes up much of the room. The surface isn’t cluttered, but rather arranged with strategic groups of paperwork. At one point, Thompson briefly searches for a notepad he knows is “here somewhere” before flourishing it with a triumphant, “Hah!” His easy-going nature is immedi- ately obvious, but once he begins speaking, his quick wit and sharp mind make it clear that he is a man you want in your corner.
THE RIGHT PATH Thompson began as a cadet working for the Little Rock Police, where he
worked in every division before becoming eligible to apply for officer positions at the age of 21. When asked to what he attributed his success in safety, Thompson gave all the credit to his upbringing and great leadership along the way. “It’s the way I was raised. My dad has always been someone that would take the shirt off of his back for you. We’re a close family. My parents were divorced, and later my
ARKANSAS TRUCKING REPORT | Issue 4 2016 27
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