Dalton Police Blog

Golf Tournament Adds New Sponsors

On Monday, Cohutta Banking Company joined the list of hole sponsors for next week’s City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament.  Bank president Larry Harrison presented Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker with a $100 sponsorship check at the Police Services Center on Monday afternoon. 

Cohutta Banking Company joins the list of hole sponsors for the tournament which already includes Ruby Falls, Downtown Jewelers, Dempsey & Associates, Dalton Depot Restaurant, Brooker Ford, Mountain Creek Harley Davidson, Outback Steakhouse, Coldwell Banker, Spillman Technologies, Dalton Paper Products, Precision Chemical, Dalton Pawn, and Mark’s Auto Glass.  Sponsorships for the tournament are still being accepted.  For more information, contact Brad Jones at 706-278-9085, extension 225.

The City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament will be held September 9th at the Nob North Municipal Golf Course.  Proceeds from the event will go towards the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship endowment at Dalton State College which benefits the child of a Dalton Police Officer or Firefighter.  The format is a four-person select shot tournament.  Prizes will be awarded to the winners.  Entries are still being accepted, and the fee per player is $65.  Click here to visit the City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament's main page for more information and to sign up online.

Below: Cohutta Banking Company president Larry Harrison hands a sponsorship check to Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker

You Drink, You Drive, You Lose. And You WILL Be Caught.

Operation Zero Tolerance is currently underway in Georgia, and the Dalton Police Department is taking part.  It's a nationwide mobilization of law enforcement agencies to combat drivers driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.  The campaign is meant to raise driver awareness of the consequences of driving while under the influence. The current Operation Zero Tolerance began on August 21st and runs through September 7th. According to statistics from Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the coming Labor Day Weekend is one of the most dangers travel periods on Georgia highways.

Dalton Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Unit, Situational Response Unit and Patrol Division will be concentrating their efforts towardsfighting drunk driving during the campaign.  Concentrated patrols and random road checks will be conducted throughout the city at strategic locations in an effort to crack down on motorists driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

According to statistics, 1 out of every 5 traffic-related fatalities in Georgia are alcohol-related.  Statistics also show that drivers with blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 grams or higher are 11 times more likely to die in a crash than if involved in that same crash while sober. 

The Dalton Police Department reminds motorists to Buckle Up, Slow Down, and Drive Sober to make the 2009 Labor Day Weekend safe!  Over the Limit? Under Arrest!

DPD Stops Burglary In Progress

The Dalton Police Department arrested three suspects apparently committing a burglary at 1103 East Morris Street on Tuesday afternoon, August 18th.  Stephen Michael Porter, 20, of 1212 Burleyson Drive #3, Tyler Scott Horn, 20, of 451 Plainview Drive, and Ashley Nicole Dean, 22, of 451 Plainview Drive were all arrested and charged with burglary in the incident.  Mr. Porter and Mr. Horn were also charged with possession of tools for the commission of a crime.

On Tuesday afternoon at approximately 3:30 PM, Officer Chris Tucker from the Dalton Police Department was on routine patrol in the area of Morris Street.  Because the house at 1103 East Morris Street is unoccupied and burglarized frequently, and Officer Tucker keeps a close check on the house when he drives by.  While passing the house, he saw a pickup truck backed up to the garage.   He stopped and reported a possible burglary in progress and approached the garage.  He stopped two suspects coming out of the garage and arrested them with assistance from backup officers.  A third suspect was found inside a screened in porch and surrendered.

Metal gutters from the building were found in the back of the pickup truck, along with guttering and an old dishwasher. The owner of the property could not confirm that the dishwasher and gutters belonged to the house.  A basement door appeared to be forcibly opened and a hot water heater stored in the basement was found outside the door.

Come Out to the Bike Rodeo on Saturday!

The Dalton Police Department's Bike Unit will participate in a Dalton Bike Rodeo on Saturday, August 22nd  from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at the K-Mart on West Walnut Avenue. 

The event is hosted by Amerigroup in partnership with Safe Kids: Dalton, the Dalton Police Department, and the Bear Creek Bicycle Company.  Children will get a chance to ride through a safety obstacle course, getting safety tips on proper riding from Dalton Police officers.  Safe Kids: Dalton will have technicians on site to perform bicycle helmet fittings and checks, as well as measuring children to make sure they're riding the right bikes for their size.

There will also be free food and games for guests, as well as free bicycle helmets for the first 40 attendees with parents present.  Parents are encouraged to please bring their kids' bikes and helmets to the event.  There will be bicycles available for children without bikes to ride through the bike rodeo course, but that supply is limited.

DPD Seeks Information Domestic Violence Suspect

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating Ivan M. Rios-Chiclana who is wanted on charges of aggravated assault, battery, and false imprisonment stemming from a domestic violence incident in September of 2008.

On September 16th, 2008, the Dalton Police Department was called to the apartments at 710 Fifth Avenue after a woman reported that she was severely beaten by her boyfriend, Mr. Rios-Chiclana, with whom she was staying.  Officers were unable to locate Mr. Rios-Chiclana.  Rios-Chiclana was on probation from a previous DUI case, but stopped showing up for meetings with his probation officer after this incident.

The photo below is a mug shot of Mr. Rios-Chiclana.  If you have any information on Mr. Rios-Chiclana’s whereabouts, please contact Detective Sam Eaton with the Dalton Police Department at 706-278-9085, extension 158.

DPD Seeks Information on Shoplifting Suspects

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying three shoplifting suspects who took an estimated $2,500-$3,000 dollars worth of merchandise in a pair of shoplifting incidents in Dalton.  The three suspects, two females and a male, worked as a team to steal merchandise from the two Bi-Lo locations in Dalton on August 1st.

The suspects arrived separately, and then worked together to shoplift an unknown quantity of razor blades (Gillette Fusion, Mach 3, and Venus blade re-fills) and also medications (Prilosec, Zantac, and Mucinex), leaving with the items concealed in purses.  

All three suspects are white.  One female is heavyset, with dark hair down to her shoulders, possibly curly, and wears glasses.  The other female suspect has darker shoulder length hair, with a medium build.  The male suspect has close-cropped light hair, and wore camoflauge shorts and a dark shirt with a single stripe across the chest.  The images below were captured by the store’s surveillance system. Anyone with information on these crimes or the identity of the three suspects is asked to contact Detective Matthew Locke at 706-278-9085, extension 320.

Below: Surveillance images of the three suspects (click each image to see a larger version)

 

Thanks for Coming! (Updated With Video)

Monday night's 2nd Annual Police and Firefighters' Benefit Dinner at the Dalton Depot Restaurant was a success, and the men and women of the Dalton Police Department and Dalton Fire Department extend thanks and gratitude to everyone who volunteered or came out in support of the event. Special thanks go to Dalton Depot Restaurant owner T.J. Kaikobad for providing his restaurant and the food for the benefit.

Proceeds from Monday night's dinner will go to benefit the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship fund at Dalton State College, which is being endowed to provide a scholarship to Dalton State for the child of an employee of the Dalton Police Department or Dalton Fire Department each year.  Final figures for how much money was raised Monday night have not yet been tallied.

Guests to Monday night's dinner dined in at the Dalton Depot or drove through the curbside take-away line, and were served eggplant parmesan, baked ziti, and chicken parmesan. 

Another fundraising event is coming up in September. Golfers, make plans now to join us on September 9th at Nob North for a Golf Tournament to benefit the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship!  The entry fee is $65 per golfer, and the format is a select shot tournament with teams of four players.  For more information, including an online sign-up form, click here.

Below (from top left): Dalton Police Officer Steve Zahn cooks eggplant parmesan, Dalton Firefighters work in the kitchen, and guests enjoy dinner at the Depot

 

Click "Play" in the window below for video from the event (video may take a few moments to load, click the "HQ" icon to watch in higher quality)

Reminder: Join Us For Dinner Monday Night!

Tickets are still on sale for the 2nd Annual City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Fundraiser Dinner at the Dalton Depot.  The dinner will be held August 10th at the Depot from 5:00 until 9:00 PM.  Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at the Dalton Police Services Center at 301 Jones Street or from any Dalton Police Officer or Firefighter.

The dinner will feature items from the Flammini’s Italian menu at the Depot.  Curbside take-away will be available, or guests are also invited to dine in at the Depot.  Musician Tommy Davis will provide entertainment from 7:00 until 11:00 PM. 

This is the second year that the city’s Fire Department and Police Department have hosted this event.  Last year, the dinner raised more than $15,000 for the scholarship endowment. 

The City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship is part of the Dalton State College Foundation’s scholarship program, an annual offering of scholarship awards recognizing academic achievement and financial need for students at Dalton State College.  In 2008, the Foundation awarded more than $180,000 in scholarships to DSC students.  The scholarship will benefit dependents of Dalton Police or Fire employees, or the dependents of retired DPD and DFD employees.  A six-member committee (three each from the Fire Department and the Police Department) determined the selection criteria for the scholarship.  The scholarship is managed by the DSC Foundation, which makes all decisions regarding selection of the scholarship recipient. 

To read about last year's scholarship dinner or to watch a video from the event, click here.

Public Safety Employees Perform BP Screenings

Employees of the Dalton Police Department, Dalton Fire Department, and the Whitfield County Fire Department performed blood pressure screenings for guests at North Georgia EMCs' annual shareholders' meeting today at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center.  The screenings were set up by North Georgia Safety Training and Disaster Services and also the Dalton-Whitfield Chapter of the American Red Cross.  Safe Kids Dalton also distributed information about car seat and bicycle safety to families attending the event.

Below: Dalton and Whitfield County public safety employees meet with the public and perform blood pressure checks

 

School Zone Limits Back in Effect on Friday

School goes back into session in the City of Dalton Friday, August 7th. The Dalton Police Department reminds motorists that with students returning to school, School Zone speed limits will be back in effect.  The DPD Traffic Enforcement Unit along with the Patrol Division will be stepping up enforcement of posted speed limits in the school zones.  The following areas have posted school zones:

• Dalton High School – Waugh Street from the east entrance of Manly Street to the west entrance of Manly Street.  The posted school zone speed limit is 30 mph during the hours of 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.  There are flashing lights at both ends of the school zone to warn motorists of the zone.
• Dalton Middle School – Cross Plans Blvd. from the By-Pass to Dalton Middle School.  The posted speed limit is 25 mph at all times.
• Roan Street Elementary School – Martin Luther King Blvd. from just west of Grimes Street to Grade Street.  The posted school zone speed limit is 30 mph during the hours of 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM and 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM.  There are flashing lights at both ends of the school zone to remind motorists of the zone.
• Blue Ridge Elementary School – Morris Street from Harris Street to just east of Fourth Ave.  The posted school zone speed limit is 25 mph when the warning lights are flashing.
• City Park Elementary School – Thornton Ave. from School Street to Crawford Street.  The posted school zone speed limit is 25 mph when the warning lights are flashing.
• Brookwood Elementary School – Central Ave. from Frances Street to Brown Street.  The posted school zone speed limit is 25 mph at all times.
• Westwood Elementary School – Trammel Street from Tyler Street to Richards Street, which is a one-way street heading north and on Jones Street from Richards Street to Tyler Street, which is a one-way street heading south.

School Zones are put into place to get motorists to slow down in these areas because of the high volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic with students arriving too or leaving the schools.  The department reminds motorists to slow down in these areas and obey the school zone speed limit to ensure that this will be a safe school year for students.  Please pay close attention to any students walking or playing in the areas around the schools, just in case a child darts into traffic.

As always, the Dalton Police Department reminds motorists to buckle up, and obey all posted speed limits in an effort to prevent accidents and serious injuries.