Dalton Police Blog

New Officers Confirmed at PSC Meeting

The Dalton Police Department's four newest officers were officially confirmed as new police officers by a unanimous vote of the Dalton Public Safety Commission at Tuesday's meeting.  Officers Jonathan J. Plott, Charles H. Williams, Diner Mondragon, and Brandon D. Daugherty received their confirmation after graduating from the Dalton Regional Police Academy on Friday.

Below: Officers Mondragon, Plott, Williams, and Daugherty stand before the Public Safety Commission Tuesday at Dalton City Hall (click images for a larger version)

VIDEO: Police Academy Graduation

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DPD Welcomes Four New Officers

The Dalton Police Department officially welcomed four new officers to the ranks at the graduation ceremony of the 71st Basic Law Enforcement class at the Dalton Regional Police Academy.  Officers Jonathan J. Plott, Charles H. Williams, Diner Mondragon, and Brandon D. Daugherty graduated from the academy on Friday afternoon.

Officer Jonathan Plott is from Chatsworth, and graduated from Murray County High School in 1989 and the University of Georgia in 1994.  He received special recognition at the graduation, honored with the Top Academic Achievement Award, the Class Leader Award, and the HIRC (Honor, Integrity, Respect, Courage) Award.

Officer Charles Williams is from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and graduated from Reinhardt College in 2007.  He was honored with the Physical Fitness Award at Friday’s ceremony.

Officer Diner Mondragon was born in Guerrero, Mexico and grew up in Los Angeles.  He graduated from California State University at Long Beach in 2001 with a degree in Industrial Design.

Officer Brandon Daugherty was born in Wayne, Michigan and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2009.

Below: The Dalton Police Department’s four new officers (from left: Brandon D. Daugherty, Jonathan J. Plott, Charles H. Williams, Diner Mondragon). Click image for a larger version.

DPD Plans Holiday Toy Run for Kids

Holiday decorations haven’t gone up in department stores yet, but the Dalton Police Department is already making plans to make the holidays happy for needy children in the Dalton area.  The department is organizing a holiday Toy Run for Kids motorcycle ride which will be held on Saturday, November 7th at Mountain Creek Harley Davidson at 1001 Market Street.  The fee for participation is a new boxed toy for either a boy or a girl up to 14 years of age (please, no stuffed animals), or $15.00.

Registration for the event will begin at 10:00 AM, with the motorcycle ride starting at 11:00 AM.  There will be a festival-type atmosphere at the Harley Davidson store site, with music, food, inflatable play areas for kids, and raffles. 

Last year, the Dalton Police Department hosted a “Shop With a Cop” event for kids, and this year the department is hoping to make a wider impact with more children through this event. After the toys are collected in November, the department will be distributing them to children at a holiday party in December.  The children are being selected by counselors in the Dalton Public School System.

For more information on the event, or to make a monetary donation for the Toy Run, please contact Sergeant Pat Meyer at 706-278-9085, extension 400.  All donations are tax-deductible.

VIDEO: Public Safety Golf Tournament

Click "Play" in the window below to watch video from the 2009 City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament (video may take a few moments to load).

To read more about the Public Safety Golf Tournament, click here.

Hitting the Links for a Good Cause

Despite a late afternoon thundershower, the 1st Annual City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament was a success on Wednesday.  Organizers say the event brought in approximately $5,000 between sponsorships and golfer entries.  Once final costs are tallied, organizers expect more than $3,000 will be donated to the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Endowment at Dalton State College.

Ten teams of golfers attacked the course at Nob North Municipal Golf Course Wednesday afternoon under sunny skies, interrupted only for a half hour storm late in the round.  The winning entry came from the four-person team of Todd Norrell, Steve Sutton, Darren Pass, and Neal Ruddell, who split a cash prize of $400 for their 16-under par round of 56.  Golfer Steve Spencer won the prize on the closest-to-the-hole drive competition.

The biggest prize of the day went unclaimed: a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle was offered as the prize for a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th hole, but nobody was able to accomplish the feat.  Instead, the bike went back to donor Mountain Creek Harley Davidson on Market Street in Dalton, where it is available for purchase.

The Dalton Police Department, Dalton Fire Department, and City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Committee want to sincerely thank everyone who participated in Wednesday's even to help make it a success. 

Special thanks are extended to the hole sponsors for the tournament: 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, Cohutta Banking Company, Mark’s Auto Glass, Wiley Jones of Dalton, and Textile Rubber and Chemical Company.  Thanks also to Los Pablos restaurant, A to Z in Walnut Square, Hallmark in Walnut Square, Carmike Cinemas, Sears, Hobby Lobby, Garcia's Mexican Restaurant, Applebee's, O'Charley's, Outback, Five Guys, Belk's, The Oil Well, TJ Maxx, Raspberry Row, and Mary Kay rep Jennifer Jones for donating door prizes for the golf tournament.

Below (from top left): Golfers eat lunch before Wednesday's round, the Harley Davidson motorcycle from Mountain Creek Harley Davidson which was offered as a hole-in-one prize, and golfers playing at the tournament

 

Score a Hole-In-One, Win a Harley

If a golfer scores a hole-in-one at next Wednesday’s City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament, he or she will ride off into the sunset on a new Harley Davidson motorcycle.  Mountain Creek Harley Davidson at 1001 Market Street in Dalton has agreed to furnish a motorcycle to offer as a prize for a golfer who scores a hole-in-one on a pre-determined hole at Wednesday’s tournament.  Organizers have not yet announced which hole is the "hole-in-one" hole.  Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Endowment at Dalton State College.

There are still slots available for Wednesday’s tournament.  Entry is $65 per golfer, and the format for the tournament is a four-person, select shot format.  To sign up online, visit daltonpdblog.typepad.com/golf.

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. 

On Friday, two new hole sponsors signed on to support the tournament: Wiley Jones of Dalton, and Textile Rubber and Chemical Company, a Ultrapave Corporation company.  They join 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, Cohutta Banking Company and Mark’s Auto Glass as hole sponsors for the event.

 

DPD Supports Team Dalton

The Dalton Police Department took part in a community rally at Dalton High School on Thursday night, showing support for "Team Dalton".  The rally took place in the east parking lot at the school and in the basketball gym, before a ribbon cutting for expansion projects at the high school, including the new multi-purpose athletics building. 

"Team Dalton" means more than just the high school, though, it's about the community as a whole.  Businesses and agencies from around town set up tables at the rally to meet with visitors.  The Dalton Police Department handed out crime prevention and safety information, as well as free pencils, pens, crayons, and stickers to kids.

Below: A crowd gathers in line for hot dogs, and DPD Officer Matt Lane greets visitors to the Police Department's table at the community rally.

 

Slots Still Available for the Public Safety Golf Tournament!

Plenty of tee times are still available for the City of Dalton Public Safety Golf Tournament which will be held September 9th at the Nob North Municipal Golf Course.  The event is being hosted by the Dalton Police Department and the Dalton Fire Department and benefits the City of Dalton Public Safety Scholarship Endowment at Dalton State College. 

Entry is $65 per golfer, and the format for the tournament is a four-person, select shot format.  To sign up online, visit daltonpdblog.typepad.com/golf.

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. 

DPD Seeks Information On Country Club Thief

The Dalton Police Department wants to land a country club thief in the sand trap of the Whitfield County Jail, and we're asking for your help to do it. The department's asking for the public’s help with identifying a man who stole a golf bag and clubs valued at approximately $2,650 from the Dalton Country Club on August 26th. 

Witnesses say the suspect walked into a storage and club repair area and looked around before picking up the golf bag and walking out.  The suspect was described by witnesses as a white male, approximately 5’6” tall, weighing approximately 140 pounds.  He’s believed to be in his 30’s, with short brown hair and clean cut appearance.  Witnesses reported that he left in a white BMW with Tennessee tags.  The man was recorded on the club’s security system, and those pictures are included below.

Anyone with information on this crime or the man’s identity is asked to please call Detective Greg Bates with the Dalton Police Department at 706-278-9085, extension 137.