On July 14, 2015 at approximately 2:50 p.m., three Department of Workforce Services employees violated the Arkansas state government policy regarding vehicle use and the Governor's Executive Order 10:14 when they went shopping at Savers on Bowman Road in Little Rock after eating lunch.
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Personal use of a state vehicle can subject the employee to taxable use of a state vehicle as stated in the State of Arkansas Vehicle Use and Management Handbook, page 20, 15.0 Taxable use of a state vehicle.
The state van was clearly occupied by three individuals as their to-go-cups were easily observed as were some shopping bags.
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| FRONT SEAT - DRIVER SIDE |
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| FRONT SEAT - PASSENGER SIDE |
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| BACK SEAT - DRIVER SIDE |
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| BACK SEAT - PASSENGER SIDE |
We spoke with the Savers store manager and asked if anyone there had a meeting with anyone from DWS we were told no. A check with store employees revealed that no one meet with or spoke to anyone from DWS.
According to records obtained from the Department of Finance & Administration and Department of Workforce Services the van occupants stated that they only stopped at Savers to use the restroom. Yeah right. DWS refused to provide the official use, reason or function for which the van was checked out. Maybe the restroom at the DWS office was out of order and the three had to drive around LIttle Rock for several hours to find a clean restroom to use.
According to records obtained from the Department of Finance & Administration and Department of Workforce Services the van occupants stated that they only stopped at Savers to use the restroom. Yeah right. DWS refused to provide the official use, reason or function for which the van was checked out. Maybe the restroom at the DWS office was out of order and the three had to drive around LIttle Rock for several hours to find a clean restroom to use.
The vehicle was checked out at 10:00 a.m. and returned at 3:40 p.m. (about 40 minutes after they shopped, uhhh.. peed/pooped at Savers).
Who was in the van? According to the records made available to us, the vehicle was occupied by Stephanie L. Bennett and Brandy M. Abernathy-Barnes and other individual with the last name Allen.
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| BENNETT SNAPS A SELFIE AT WORK |
Abernathy-Barnes is also a workforce services specialist.
While it would be permissible for a state employee to stop and eat lunch while traveling from one town to another on official business, going shopping and using the vehicle for personal use (shopping) damages the reputation of state employees and undermines the public trust in public employees and state government.
