Dalton Police Blog

DPD Seeks Stalking Suspect

UPDATE (9/02/2010): An arrest was made this afternoon at a hotel in Gordon County thanks in part to an investigation that followed an anonymous tip.

 

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help with locating Jesus Gallardo.  The department has a warrant for his arrest on charges of aggravated stalking.  On multiple occasions in the past week, Mr. Gallardo has followed his wife to her workplace where he made threats against her and also made threatening and harassing phone calls to her workplace.

Gallardo is 40 years old, Hispanic, and stands approximately 5’9” tall, weighing approximately 160 pounds.  He has short, salt-and-pepper hair.  A photo of him is included with this release.  His last known address is 634 Womack Drive in Dalton.

 

Below: A photo of Jesus Gallardo (click image to see a larger version)

 

DPD Begins Process to Earn CALEA Accreditation

The Dalton Public Safety Commission voted Tuesday morning to approve the Dalton Police Department’s initiative to become a CALEA accredited agency.  CALEA accreditation is a multi-year process with the end result of bringing the department into league with the nation’s best law enforcement agencies.

CALEA, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., is an internationally recognized benchmark for professionalism in modern law enforcement agencies.  The organization’s goals are to strengthen an agency’s crime prevention abilities, formalize management procedures, improve service delivery, solidify interagency cooperation, and increase community confidence in the agency.  Currently, 6% of law enforcement agencies in the United States are CALEA accredited.  Thirty-eight Georgia agencies (5.8%) are CALEA accredited, including agencies like the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Rome Police Department and the Gainesville Police Department.  Ten other Georgia agencies are currently in the CALEA accreditation process.

“Like many professions, accreditation signals to citizens that their police department follows a series of demonstrated best practices in delivering police services and working closely with the community,” Chief Jason Parker said after the Public Safety Commission meeting.

CALEA accreditation focuses on a law enforcement agency’s adherence to 463 different professional standards which cover every aspect of the agency’s operations, such as organization, management, traffic operations, court services, etc.  The Dalton Police Department is currently state-certified by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, which measure law enforcement agencies based on 118 different professional standards.  An analysis of department policies has shown than the DPD already meets more than 60% of CALEA standards, while approximately 30% will require only minor changes such as minor policy or process revisions.  Only 10% of the standards will require significant changes.

There are many benefits to gaining CALEA accreditation.  Along with greater accountability within the agency, there is also a reduction in risk and liability exposure, including lower liability insurance costs, and stronger defense against civil lawsuits because it demonstrates that the agency’s personnel meet and follow internationally accepted standards for law enforcement. 

The CALEA process begins with enrollment in the program, which is followed by a self-assessment process to bring the department’s operations into compliance with CALEA standards.  This process can take as long as 36 months, and will begin after department personnel attend a training conference in November.  After self-assessment, the department will schedule a meeting for a team of CALEA assessors to come on-site and perform their own assessment of the department’s operations.  One part of that on-site assessment will be a community forum to discuss the department.  After that assessment, the CALEA commission will review their findings and make a decision.  After that, the department will be re-assessed every three years.

“Our daily actions are the best way for citizens to judge professionalism,” Chief Parker said on Tuesday. “One of the strong points of the process is that members of the community are ultimately involved in the final assessment.”

The goal is for the department to receive CALEA accreditation sometime between the Fall of 2012 and Spring of 2013.

DPD Seeks Information on Theft of Dalton High School's Gator

The Dalton Police Department is looking for a suspect who stole a John Deere Gator utility truck from Dalton High School and abandoned it in a nearby neighborhood.

The incident happened around 11:30 PM on August 11th. A man walking near the school called 911 to report the theft in progress when he saw a young white male, described as being between 15 and 18 years old with dark hair, riding the Gator and “doing donuts” in the school’s parking lot. He then drove it out of the Manly Street construction entrance, driving south on Davidson Drive with no lights on. Officers canvassed the area, ultimately spotting the Gator in some bushes behind a home on Westerly Drive. Investigators processed the Gator for evidence and returned it to the school, where it is used by the baseball and softball teams.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact Detective Jason Bishop at 706-278-9085, extension 214.

DPD Seeks Info on Craft Store Break-In

The Dalton Police Department is investigating a smash-and-grab type burglary at a local crafts store in Dalton.  Many of the items taken are one-of-a-kind knitted crafts that investigators are hoping will be recognized by members of the public.

The incident happened at approximately 11:30 PM on Thursday, August 19th at the Krazy Knits store at 311 West Emery Street.  Officers responding to a hallway motion alarm found the glass in the front door broken in.  When the store owner arrived, she found several items missing.  The missing items were three missing hats, 2 of which had ear flaps, one knitted sweater, at least ten pairs of decorative knitting needles, two wicker shopping baskets, and a plastic molded sheep which was displaying a knitted hat, scarf, and skirt. The total value of the items taken is approximately $200.00. Some of these items are pictured below.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to contact Detective Jason Thompson at 706-278-9085, extension 174. 

 

DPD Seeks Information On Purse Snatching Team

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a man and woman who apparently worked as a team to steal a woman’s purse at the Kroger grocery store on West Walnut Avenue.  The pair left the purse behind, but left with $220.00 in cash.

The incident happened around 9:20 PM on Sunday night, August 22nd.  The victim was shopping in the Kroger and had her purse on her shopping cart.  She told officers that she only had her cart out of sight while reaching for a box of cereal on a high shelf, and didn’t notice it was gone until it was time to check out.  She started to look for the purse and a couple told her they’d seen her red purse near a display box.  As she walked to the display, she saw a man duck behind it and then walk away toward the bathrooms.  She stopped the suspect coming out and asked if he’d taken her purse, and the subject said no.  The victim contacted the store manager and asked him to check the men’s room.  He found the red purse, and the victim found that her cash had been taken.

After reviewing surveillance footage from the store, investigators found that a woman actually helped the man take the purse.  The female suspect is recorded taking the victim’s purse and leaving it by the display box.  The male suspect then comes up and takes the purse into the bathroom.

The male suspect is approximately 5’10” tall and about 180 pounds, with dark hair.  He wore a blue shirt and white shorts with black flip-flops.  The female suspect is about 5’8” tall weighing approximately 230 pounds with blonde hair.  She wore blue jeans and a white shirt.  Pictures of the two suspects are included below.

Anyone with information about this crime or the identity of the two suspects is asked to contact Detective Jason Bishop at 706-278-9085, extension 214.

Operation Zero Tolerance Is Underway

The Dalton Police Department is taking part in Operation Zero Tolerance, which started today, August 20th and will run through Labor Day, September 6th.   Operation Zero Tolerance is a nationwide mobilization of law enforcement agencies to combat drivers driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and to raise public awareness of the consequences of driving while impaired.
 
According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Labor Day Weekend is one of the most dangerous times on Georgia highways.  In 2009, there were 2,231 traffic crashes, 614 injuries and nine lives lost during the 78-hour travel period.

Statistics show that 1 out of every 4 traffic crash fatalities are caused by an impaired driver.  They also show that drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams or higher are eleven times more likely to die in a crash than if involved in that same crash while they were sober.

The Dalton Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit and Patrol Division will be concentrating their efforts toward fighting drunk driving during the campaign.  Concentrated patrols and random road checks will be conducted throughout the city at strategic locations in an effort to crackdown on motorists driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
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The Dalton Police Department reminds motorists to buckle up, slow down, and drive sober
to make the 2010 Labor Day weekend safe.  And remember, Over the Limit, Under Arrest!

Thanks for Coming!

The 3rd Annual Police Officers and Firefighters' Benefit Dinner was a big success on Monday night at the Dalton Depot Restaurant.  Organizers haven't calculated the final tally yet, but estimate that the dinner raised approximately $8,000 for the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Endowment at Dalton State College.  Each year, the scholarship is awarded to the child of a Dalton Police Officer or Dalton Firefighter attending Dalton State College.

The DPD and DFD thank everyone who came out to make the night a success.

To watch video from the event, click "Play" in the window below (video may take a few moments to load).

DPD Seeks Information on Stolen Urn

The Dalton Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the recovery of a stolen urn and the arrest of the party responsible for the crime.  

The burglary happened sometime during the night of July 26th when someone broke into an apartment on Brady Drive in Dalton.  The burglars got away with computer equipment, cameras, and cell phones, and also an urn containing the cremains of the victim’s grandmother.  The urn was kept in a decorative display case similar to the one pictured in the photograph below.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to please contact Detective Ricky Long with the Dalton Police Department at 706-278-9085, extension 168.

Arrest Made in Parking Lot Groping Cases

The Dalton Police Department arrested Jonathan A. Barry, 20, of Trenton, GA on Wednesday afternoon and charged him with two counts of sexual battery and one count of simple assault in connection with a series of groping incidents over the past month in Dalton. 

Investigators received several tips after Barry’s image was circulated by area media after the most recent incident which occurred on Tuesday morning.  After investigating the leads, investigators obtained a warrant for Barry’s arrest.

The first reported incident occurred on July 18th at the TJ Maxx store in the Walnut Avenue Kroger shopping center.  The suspect approached a woman who was leaving the store and asked if he could ask her a question.  When she stopped, he pulled down her top and exposed her breasts before running away.  Later that week, on July 22nd, the suspect approached two women leaving the Belk’s department store at Walnut Square Mall. Again, he asked one of the women to stop so he could ask her a question.  When she stopped, he grabbed her breast and ran away across the parking lot.  The third reported incident happened Tuesday, August 10th when the suspect approached a woman in the parking lot of the East Walnut Avenue Wal-Mart and offered her $100 to show him her breasts.

School Zones Go Into Effect Friday

Students in Dalton Public Schools go back to school on Friday, August 13th, and motorists need to be aware that there may be more pedestrian and vehicle traffic near school zones this year. 

This fall, Dalton Public Schools will be providing bus transportation only to students who live more than a half-mile from their assigned school.  This means that there may be more families and kids walking to school or driving to school.  This means it’s even more important for drivers to observe school zone speed limits.  If your morning or afternoon commute takes you through a school zone, please try to leave early to allow extra time to arrive on time without speeding.

Drivers should be alert for children crossing the street and also walking on sidewalks, especially near elementary schools.  Remember that children can be unpredictable and may end up walking into the road unexpectedly.  It’s a good idea to slow down as you drive near children, even if you’re not within the limits of a school zone.

School zone speed limits are clearly posted and will go into effect on Friday.  The Dalton Police Department’s Traffic Unit has placed several electronic speed trailers near schools this week to show drivers how fast they are moving as a reminder of the school zone speed limits.  The Traffic Unit will be running speed enforcement near schools starting Friday morning.

Please remember to buckle up, slow down to arrive safely and have a great school year!