Dalton Police Blog

DPD, WCSO Run the Torch

Officers and deputies from the Dalton Police Department and Whitfield County Sheriff's Office participate in fundraising throughout the year for Special Olympics Georgia, and this morning personnel from both agencies participated in the symbolic culmination of that effort: the 2012 Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Runners carried the torch from the old city court building on Waugh Street down Thornton Avenue to Bry-Man's Plaza, and then moved to Highway 41 where they ran through a pep rally at Valley Point Elementary School.  From there, the runners continued on to the Gordon County line.  The run covered approximately nine miles.

Below: Images from this morning's Torch Run.  To see more pictures from this morning's run, click here to see a gallery on the DPD's Facebook page.

Traffic Unit and Chick-fil-A Team Up to Keep Prom Weekend Safe

Dalton High School's prom was held over the weekend, and Catamount students got a reminder about staying safe on the roadways from the Dalton Police Department beforehand. Officers from the DPD Traffic Unit were posted at the exits to Dalton High on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon to remind drivers to stay focused on the road, avoid drinking and driving, and to wear their safety belts not just on the way to and from prom, but every day.  

Every year teen drivers account for nearly 5,000 traffic deaths, making traffic crashes the leading cause of death for the age group between 16 and 20.  That number surpasses homicide, suicide and cancer combined.  Statistics show that almost 70% of teenagers killed in car crashes were not wearing their safety belt and distracted driving accounted for another 16% of traffic crash deaths. 

On Wednesday, Dalton Police Department partnered with Dalton's Chick-fil-A restaurants and Dalton High School to reward teen drivers that were wearing their safety belt as they left school with a coupon to items at the local Chic-fil-a store on West Walnut Ave.  On Thursday, officers from the traffic enforcement unit passed out “Don’t Text and Drive” thumb bands to remind teen drivers of the dangers of texting and driving. 

Below: (left to right) Officer Woody Cantrell from the DPD Traffic Unit hands a Dalton High student a "Don't TXT and Drive" thumb band reminder; The "Don't TXT and Drive" thumb band; A Chick-fil-A gift card provided to students wearing their seat belts; Sue DiDonato form Chick-fil-A poses with Officer Cantrell at Dalton High

Want to Join the Dalton Police Department?

Do you think you’ve got what it takes to join one of Georgia’s leading law enforcement agencies?  If so, the Dalton Police Department is looking for you.  The DPD is currently accepting applications for new officers.

To qualify as an applicant, candidates must meet the standards set by the Georgia Peace Officer Training Standards Council (POST), be at least 21 years old, be a citizen of the United States, and have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent, with at least some college education preferred.  Candidates must possess good people skills, a professional work ethic, and be able to work as a team player.  Candidates must be able to to work a flexible schedule, including night shift and weekends.  Candidates must have the ability to perform the essential functions of the job.  Candidates must be United States citizens.  Successful candidates will be responsible for the enforcement of city ordinances and state laws in a fair and impartial manner.  Starting pay for new officers is approximately $14.99 per hour.  Further pay adjustments are made during the first year of service as training and probation requirements are met.  Additional education incentives are available for recruits with Baccalaureate Degrees.

Applications can be obtained at the Human Resources Office in City Hall, 300 West Waugh Street, Dalton, GA 30721.  A City of Dalton application must be filled out and received by the job closing date of June 15, 2012 at 5:00 pm E.S.T. 

To download an application and for more information on the selection process and the duties of a Dalton police officer, click here to visit the "How to Become a Dalton Police Officer" page.  The link can also be found in the "Important Pages" menu on the left hand side of this page.  The City of Dalton is an equal opportunity employer.

 

DPD to Host Women's Self Defense Class in June

The Dalton Police Department will host another session of the popular RAD Systems Women's Self Defense Class in June.  Previous sessions of the class, which is taught by Dalton Police Training Officer Brian Pack, have been well-received by women who have participated.

The course will take place over four nights in June (June 4, 6, 11, and 13) from 6 pm until 9 pm.  The June 4th class will meet at the Dalton Police Services Center, and the others will be held at the new Mack Gaston Community Center on Fredrick Street.  The course is being offered free of charge.  The class is limited to 20 participants, and the course is designed for women ages 13 and up.  However, women younger than age 18 may participate, but must have a parent or guardian sign a waiver to enroll. 

The program is for women only – wives, mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends – and all who successfully complete the course will have a lifetime return policy allowing them to participate in any R.A.D System program to refresh their skills at any time.  The 12-hour course educates women on safety strategies to minimize their chances of becoming a victim, and physical tactics aimed at disabling an attacker long enough to escape.  Officer Pack, certified in the R.A.D System of Self Defense, will wear a padded “Red Man” suit for some of the exercises which allow the women to practice defensive maneuvers they have learned in the class without the fear of injuring the instructor.

“Our ultimate goal is to promote safety and build confidence,” said Officer Pack. “Our hope is that no one will ever have to use the skills they’ll learn in this class, but we want them to feel safe wherever they go. We’re not teaching people how to fight, but to have some skills they can use to create enough of a diversion to create distance and get away if they ever find themselves in a dangerous situation."

You can apply to participate in the class online by clicking here.  Please apply for the class only if you can attend all sessions of the class.

Anyone with any questions about the course can contact Officer Pack at 706-278-9085, extension 138 or by email at bpack@cityofdalton-ga.gov.

To read an article from the Dalton Daily Citizen about a previous session of the class, click here.

To watch a video from a previous session of the class, click "Play" in the window below:

DPD Welcomes New Officer

Officers gathered in the Training Room at the Police Services Center on Wednesday morning to welcome a new officer to their ranks.  Officer Zach Simpson received his badge from Chief Jason Parker during a brief ceremony, and then had it pinned to his uniform by his wife, Jessica.

Officer Simpson is new to the Dalton Police Department but not new to the law enforcement profession. Before joining the DPD, Simpson served a year and a half as an officer with the LaFayette Police Department in LaFayette, Georgia.  Officer Simpson has roots in the northwest Georgia area, having graduated from Ringgold High School in 2006.  He graduated from the Dalton Regional Police Academy in December 2009 as a pre-service candidate.  He is currently continuing his studies at Thomas University.

Congratulations and welcome to the DPD's newest officer!

Below: Officer Simpson has his new badge pinned on by his wife, Jessica; Officer Simpson shakes hands with Chief Jason Parker after receiving his new badge (click images to see a larger version)

Graduation Night

The Dalton Police Department's 20th Citizens Police Academy officially wrapped up on Tuesday night with a graduation ceremony and banquet at Ryman Hall.  After a dinner catered by the Filling Station restaurant in downtown Dalton, each participant in the Citizens Academy was called to the stage and received their diploma.  

The 10 week course designed to give citizens an in depth look at each aspect of the police department's operations concluded two weeks ago.

Chief Jason Parker welcomed the Citizens Academy members and their families with remarks at the beginning of the ceremony, and then was joined on the stage by City Alderman George Sadosuk and Public Safety Commission Chairman Bill Weaver who also saluted the participants.  Lt. Chris Crossen, the coordinator for the Citizens Academy, then read each participant's name as they received their diplomas.

Applications for the next Citizens Police Academy will be taken starting in December, so keep checking back with the Dalton Police Blog for updates!

Below: Scenes from the Citizens Police Academy graduation ceremony (to see more pictures from Tuesday night's ceremony, click here to view a photo gallery on the DPD's Facebook page).

Dalton Mayor and Council Observe Police Week

National Police Week will be observed next week in the United States, but the City of Dalton got a jump on the festivities with an observance at the meeting of the Dalton Mayor and Council on Monday night.  With no meeting of the council scheduled next week, the observance was set for Monday night so a mayoral proclamation of Police Week in Dalton could be made in advance.

National Police Week began in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy declared May 15th to be National Peace Officers' Memorial Day, and the week in which the 15th falls to be a week honoring police officers.  This year, National Police Week is Sunday, May 13th through Saturday, May 19th. 

At Monday night's City Council meeting, members of the Dalton Police Department's Honor Guard presented the colors for the Pledge of Allegiance to open the meeting.  Afterwards, DPD Public Relations Specialist Bruce Frazier read the "Spartan Oath" as part of a memorial of the nine Georgia law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty since the last Peace Officers Memorial Day in May 2011.  The oath, which first appeared in Richard Lee's book "Gates of Fire", references an actual shield, but it is also reflective of a modern police officer's attitude towards his or her own oath of service, and his or her own shield, the badge.  It reads:

"This is my Shield. I bear it before me in battle, but it is not my own.  It protects my brother on my left, it protects my city.  I will never let my brother out of its shadow, nor my city from its shelter.  I will die with my shield before me, facing the enemy."

Then, Frazier read aloud the names of the nine Georgia officers who gave their lives in the line of duty: Sheriff James D. Stewart of the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office, July 3, 2011; Deputy Sheriff Richard Joeseph Daly of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, July 20, 2011; Probation Officer Tiffany Danielle Bishop of the Georgia Department of Corrections, August 31, 2011; Deputy Sheriff Derrick Lee Whittle of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, September 18, 2011; Deputy Sheriff James David Paugh of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, October 23, 2011; Officer Terry Mae Lewis Flemming of the Albany Police Department, October 28, 2011; Detective Robert Shane Wilson of the Doraville Police Department, November 14, 2011; Deputy Sheriff Ronnie Eugene Smith of the Butts County Sheriff’s Office, December 17, 2011; and Senior Police Officer Gail Thomas of the Atlanta Police Department, January 24, 2012.

Officers from the Dalton Police Department then joined Mayor David Pennington and Chief Jason Parker at the front of the Council Chamber for the reading of a proclamation marking National Police Week in Dalton.  The proclamation reads:

Whereas, the President of the United States has designated May 15th as Peace Officers' Memorial Day, and the week in which May 15th falls as National Police Week; and

Whereas, the members of the law enforcement agency of Dalton play an essential role in safeguarding the rights and freedoms of our community; and

Whereas, it is important that all citizens know and understand the duties, responsibilities, hazards, and sacrifices of their law enforcement agency, and that members of our law enforcement agency recognize their duty to serve the people by safeguarding life and property, by protecting them against violence and disorder, and by protecting the innocent against deception and the weak against oppression; and

Whereas, the men and women of the law enforcement agency of the Dalton Police Department unceasingly provide a vital public service.

Now, Therefore Be It Resolved, I, David Pennington, Mayor of the City of Dalton, Georgia hereby call upon all citizens of our community and upon all patriotic, civic, and educational organizations to observe the week of May 13-19, 2012 as "Police Week" and to join in commemorating law enforcement officers, past and present, who, by their faithful and loyal devotion to their responsibilities, have rendered a dedicated service to their communities and, in so doing, have established for themselves an enviable and enduring reputation for preserving the rights and security of all citizens.

Below: Dalton Police officers join Mayor David Pennington and Chief Jason Parker for the reading of a proclamation at Monday's meeting of the Dalton City Council (click images to see a larger version)

 

Canales Relative Arrested For Hindering Apprehension

On Wednesday, May 2^nd, the Dalton Police Department arrested Kathy I. Strickland of 2050 Woodridge Lane on charges of a felony charge of making false statements to law enforcement officers and also charges of hindering the apprehension of a criminal, and obstruction of law officers in connection with the April 29^th homicides on Dude Street.  Strickland’s involvement in the incident came after the shootings had already occurred and she is not a suspect in the homicides.

After the April 29^th shootings, Emilio Christopher Canales left the scene driving a gray Monte Carlo.  He called Kathy Strickland, his aunt and sister of shooting victim Deborah Canales, and had her pick him up at the Walgreen’s store on Walnut Avenue.  Strickland drove him to a house on Sparks Lane. 

Strickland later left Sparks Lane and drove to the scene of the shootings on Dude Street where she encountered investigators from the Dalton Police Department.  When asked for the whereabouts of Emilio Christopher Canales, Strickland told investigators that she did not know where he was.  When asked when was the last time she saw or heard from Canales was, she told investigators that she had not seen him since the day before. 

When a DPD cruiser passed the house on Sparks Lane, Canales was apparently spooked and left the house on foot.  When a Whitfield County deputy passed minutes later, the deputy spotted Canales hiding outside. The deputy was then able to take Canales into custody without incident.

After conducting numerous interviews with witnesses, DPD investigators obtained warrants for Strickland’s arrest and took her into custody on Wednesday afternoon. 

DPD detectives continue to investigate the April 29^th incident.  Emilio Christopher Canales remains the sole suspect involved in the shootings.

Police Week Observance Tonight

Members of the Dalton Police Department will mark National Police Week and Peace Officer Memorial Day at tonight’s meeting of the Dalton Mayor and Council.  Both events take place next week, which falls in between meetings of the Mayor and Council.

At tonight’s meeting, members of the Dalton Police Department’s Honor Guard will present the colors before the meeting, and all officers from the department in attendance will stand and be recognized.  DPD Public Relations Specialist Bruce Frazier will read the names of all Georgia law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the past year.  Mayor David Pennington will also read a proclamation declaring Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and Police Week in Dalton.

President John F. Kennedy declared May 15^th to be Peace Officers’ Memorial Day in 1962, and declared the week in which May 15^th falls to be National Police Week.  Observances are planned across the country.  For more information, visit http://www.policeweek.org/.

The Dalton Mayor and Council meeting will be tonight at 6 pm in the Council Chamber at Dalton City Hall.

Did You Order the Code Red?

If you haven't already signed up for "CodeRED", the weather warning system designed to let you know when severe weather is approaching your home, now is a great time to do so.

Whitfield County, Georgia recently partnered with Emergency Communications Network to provide the service.  You simply sign up online with your address and phone number on the service's website, and then the service will call you automatically when severe weather is detected in your area.

To sign up, click here to be redirected to the "CodeRED" sign up page.  People without internet access can simply call the Whitfield County 911 center at 706-370-4911 to sign up over the phone.  CodeRED is an opt-in only service that taps into the National Weather Service and notifies you of warnings just moments after a warning is issued.