Washington County Sheriff Receives Fowler Award

Left: AAC Executive Director Chris Villines, Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder and his wife, Holly, and AAC Board President Debbie Wise pose for a photo. Above: Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder was honored with the Fowler Award.

Washington County Sheriff receives 2020 Wes Fowler Advocacy Award

The AAC awarded the 2020 Wes Fowler Advocacy Award to Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder during the August meeting of the Arkansas Sheriffs Association (ASA).

The award, established in 2017 following the death of longtime Madison County Clerk and Judge Wes Fowler, recognizes a county or district official who best embodies Fowler’s dedication to local government and demonstrates “tireless work in boldly advocating for the counties of Arkansas.”

Helder graduated from West Fork High School in 1976 and continues to reside in West Fork with his wife Holly. They have three children and five grandchildren.

Helder began his law enforcement career in 1979 as a dispatcher with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. He later attended the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA) and continued to work for the Sheriff’s Office as a field deputy. In 1982, Helder was hired as a patrolman by the Fayetteville Police Department, where he remained for 21 years, working his way up to deputy chief.

During his years of law enforcement, Sheriff Helder has attended some of the most prestigious training available, including a 10-week training course for police administrators from across the globe at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Academy. Along with the training he has been provided opportunities to develop and manage programs such as the Drug Task Force, Bike Patrol, Office of Professional Standards and Physical Fitness for law enforcement.

In 2003, Helder returned to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office as chief deputy. He was elected sheriff in 2004 and is the longest serving sheriff in the history of Washington County.

Helder is past president of the ASA and past chair of the Washington Regional Hospital Board of Directors. He also is a past chair of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and currently serves on the Board of Directors, which includes Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Northwest Florida and Memphis, Tennessee.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson has appointed Helder to serveral boards and commissions, inlcuding the Legislative Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force, the purpose of which was to reduce prison overcrowding through sentencing and parole reforms. In 2017, Helder was appointed to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory Board. The appointment will expire in January 2024.

In 2018 the Governor appointed Helder to the School Safety Commission, which evaluates school designs, safety and security policies, emergency plans and policies, school counseling, and mental health issues.