John R. Bailey

Colonel John Renvil Bailey (retired, Arkansas State Police), 79, of Bryant died Monday, September 14, 2026 following a sudden cancer diagnosis in July this year. He was a dutiful public servant having committed 27 years of his life ensuring the public safety of Arkansans.

John was born in Little Rock on August 27, 1947 to George and Evelyn Bailey and graduated from Mabelvale High School in Pulaski County. He continued his education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, graduating with a degree in marketing.

In 1971 John answered a calling from law enforcement and joined the ranks of the Arkansas State Police, where he remained until 1983.

During his initial years of service with the state police, Trooper Bailey accepted assignments in the governor’s protection detail, highway patrol division, criminal investigation division and internal affairs section. His success and demonstrated leadership caught the eyes of officials within the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Division of Highway Police. In 1983 John became the assistant chief of the department’s law enforcement division, and in 1986 was named chief of the AHTD Highway Police.

In 1994, former state police Colonel Tommy Goodwin announced his plans to retire, and Governor Jim Guy Tucker wasted little time considering who would lead the ranks of troopers and civilian staff. During a state law enforcement summit at the state capitol, John was called to the governor’s office and was asked to consider taking command of the state’s largest law enforcement agency and on June 1, 1994, he was appointed director of the state police, rising to the rank of colonel.

During his four year tenure as state police director, John worked under the gubernatorial administrations of both Governor Tucker and Governor Mike Huckabee.

Immediately upon his appointment, Colonel Bailey raised the bar for what would be expected of state troopers under his command. He would require new and higher levels of leadership and accountability among the ranks. His legacy as state police colonel can only be best described as a comprehensive modernization of the entire department.

Evidence of what the new colonel began 32 years ago remains in place today. Among his first projects was the planning and design of a new 177,000 square foot administrative headquarters located in southwest Little Rock along Interstate 30. He also laid the groundwork for a first generation of computerization inside the state police which would eventually lead to a network linking every state police office site and all patrol cars. In short-order after taking command, John launched the state’s Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) which entailed merging at that time more than a half-million Arkansas fingerprint cards maintained by the state police into a digital database and interconnected the system with an interstate network of federal and state law enforcement agencies. One of his proudest moments was leading nearly 100 newly hired state troopers onto the floor of the Arkansas General Assembly. The number of Arkansas State Troopers had dwindled to new lows during the 1980’s. Already a supporter of Community Oriented Policing concepts, Colonel Bailey turned to the federally funded COPS program and reinvigorated the state police force to set a new record high in the number of troopers spread across each Arkansas county.

John is also credited with implementing a new regimen of training for both new troopers and recurring training for incumbents. Additionally, he implemented a department K9 section assigned to the highway patrol division and introduced helicopter operations and trained specialty pilots within the state police aviation section. In 1994 he formed the Arkansas State Police Honor Guard, a special unit of select troopers who lead the department’s ceremonial assignments and serve as representatives of the department to bestow special honors at funeral services for troopers killed in the line of duty as well as retired troopers.

Despite his constant strides to update operations within the state police, John never lost his personal devotion to Jesus Christ as his savior. He established a chaplaincy program in each of the twelve ASP troops realizing not every trooper had a faith family that could be called upon during difficult assignments or personal challenges.

Almost as quickly as it began, John made the difficult decision to end his appointment as state police director and in December of 1998 submitted his state retirement documents. Following a brief period of relaxation, he entered private enterprise, working a ten year stint as chief of security for Affiliated Foods.

John was blessed with a family that supported him constantly, both at work and at home. His wife of nearly 50 years, Sharon (Paxon) Bailey and their children, Matt, Anna and Sarah folded their lives around John and their extended ASP family.

Outside of the Arkansas State Police, John was the founder of 10-33, a faith based law enforcement and leadership development organization. He was the former Executive Director of the Union Rescue Mission in Little Rock. John was a graduate the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development Course and the FBI’s National Executive Institute. He was an author, and in response to innumerable requests to officiate weddings and funerals, John acquired his ministerial license and continued to fill the roles of deacon and interim pastor. A man of many hobbies, he was also an avid hunter, fisherman, golfer, baseball player and guitarist.

John is predeceased by his parents, George and Evelyn Bailey and his wife, Sharon.

Survivors include, his sister Judy Bailey Hutcheson and husband, Butch of Benton, son, Matthew Renvil Bailey and wife Brooke N. Brown of Washington, D.C., two daughters, Anna Marie Bowman and husband Brad of Mabelvale, and Sarah Beth Voth and husband Jared of Benton and eleven grandchildren, Christina, Corley, Paxon, Cash, Evie, Charis, Lucie, Cedar, Josiah, Elliot, and Everly.

Visitation with John’s family is scheduled for 5 PM – 7 PM, Thursday, September 17th at Smith Family Funeral Home in Benton.

A funeral service will be conducted at 1 PM, Saturday, September 19th at Life Church in Otter Creek, 9415 Stagecoach Road, Little Rock. A burial service will follow at 2:30 PM at Smith-Rosemont Cemetery in Benton.

Memorial gifts in honor of John Bailey may be directed to any of the following: Arkansas State Police Foundation, Fostering the Arts, or Foundation for Biomedical Research.