Dalton Police Blog

Girl Scout Donates Stuffed Animals to DPD

Dalton High School senior Aly Flores has been collecting stuffed animals at different locations around Dalton as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award Project.  Originally, her idea was to donate the stuffed animals to Hamilton Medical Center to be used by young patients.  She was more successful than she'd dreamed, collecting more than 1,400 stuffed animals, more than the hospital could accept.  So, she's been looking around for other homes for the stuffed animals, and on Thursday, she made a large donation to the Dalton Police Department.  The stuffed animals will be carried in DPD patrol cars for any children who may be in need of comfort when they encounter our officers. 

Thanks very much to Aly for her hard work on this project, and for the donation.

Below: Girl Scout Aly Flores and DPD Public Relations Specialist Bruce Frazier with the donated stuffed animals

DPD, DFD Promotions Approved by Public Safety Commission

One Dalton Police Officer and two Dalton Firefighters received promotions at the monthly meeting of the Dalton Public Safety Commission on Tuesday.  Officer Daniel Nicholson was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  Fire Lieutenant Chris Cantrell was promoted to Captain, and Firefighter III Mike Sloan was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

Sergeant Nicholson has served the Dalton Police Department for more than 10 years.  He has been assigned as a detective with the DPD’s Drug Unit since 2005.  Sgt. Nicholson holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science from Dalton State College and will graduate in May with a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management from Covenant College.  He will be assigned as a supervisor in the Patrol Division.

Captain Cantrell’s promotion fills the void left when Mike Russell was promoted in December to the rank of Battalion Chief.  Cantrell joined the Dalton Fire Department in February of 1993 after serving 5 years with the Whitfield County Fire Department.  He was promoted to Lieutenant in May of 2003.  He’s a POST-certified arson investigator, in addition to holding a varied training background in firefighting tactics, rescue operations, and leadership.  Captain Cantrell also holds National Professional Qualification (NPQ) Certifications in Fire Inspector, Investigations, NPQ Evaluator, Hazardous Materials Operations and Technician Level.

Lieutenant Sloan joined the Dalton Fire Department in February of 1999.  He was promoted to Firefighter III with Battalion 3 since July 2005.  Lieutenant Sloan’s training background includes numerous Strategy and Tactics training, Leadership training, Building Construction, and he is an Incident Safety Officer and a Georgia Smoke Diver. Mike is a member of the Georgia Search and Rescue Team (GSAR) and holds National Professional Qualifications (NPQ) Certifications in Confined Space Rescue, Structural Collapse Rescue, Trench Rescue, Rope Rescue, Instructor 1, and Hazardous Materials Operations Training.

Congratulations to Sergeant Nicholson, Captain Cantrell, and Lieutenant Sloan!

Below: (1st picture, from left) Sgt. Daniel Nicholson poses with Chief Jason Parker after his promotion. (2nd picture, from left) Capt. Chris Cantrell, Chief Bruce Satterfield, and Lt. Mike Sloan pose after their promotions.

DPD Seeks Information on Burglary Suspects

The Dalton Police Department is looking for information on two suspects who broke into the Smart Mart Chevron at 100 North Oaks Drive early on the morning of January 19th.  The individuals left with packs of cigars and cigarettes valued at approximately $100. 

At approximately 1:45 AM on January 19th, the two suspects broke out a glass door with a large rock and entered the store.  One of the two suspects was captured on the store’s surveillance system.  While the image of his face isn’t clear, he appears to be a young white male, wearing a striped hooded and backpack.  The jacket is a distinctive design, and investigators hope that it might be recognized by someone familiar with the suspect. The surveillance images of the man are included below. The two individuals left the store on foot, possibly headed in the direction of Fleming Street across Highway 71. 

The owner of the store is offering a $250 reward for information leading to the successful prosecution of the burglary suspects.  If you have any information on the identity of these individuals or this crime, please contact Detective Greg Bates with the Dalton Police Department at 706-278-9085, extension 137.

DPD Seeks Information in Credit Card Theft Case

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a woman who used a stolen credit card to rack up more than $1,400 worth of fraudulent purchases at area retailers including the Wal-Mart on East Walnut Avenue. 

On January 2nd, a man lost his wallet at the Carmike Cinemas movie theater on East Walnut Avenue.  After reporting the loss to police, he cancelled various credit cards that were left in the wallet.  But, he apparently forgot one Kennesaw State credit card that was left in the wallet, and when he received his statement he found 19 fraudulent purchases totaling $1,413.18.  Some of the purchases were made at the East Walnut Avenue Wal-Mart, and the surveillance system there recorded a white female, approximately 5’2 with dark hair wearing a pink colored shirt and white jacket using the card.  She was also accompanied by two other women and a white male and a black male at various times while she was inside the store.  Her picture is included below.

If you have any information on this crime or the identity of the woman pictured below, please contact Detective John Helton with the Dalton Police Department at 706-278-9085, extension 143.

DPD Officers Make 50-Pound Drug Bust

Acting on intelligence gathered during a month-long undercover investigation by the department’s Drug Unit, officers from the Dalton Police Department arrested four-men and seized approximately 50 pounds of marijuana and 2 ounces of methamphetamine ice on Thursday night after performing a traffic stop on I-75.  The combined street value of the seized drugs is estimated at approximately $100,000.  Agents from the Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency, the Conasauga Safe Streets Task Force, and the Gordon County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit assisted in the operation.

Arrested on Thursday night were Bryan Torres Montiel, 23; Roberto Diaz Celis, 29; Rodolfo Amaya Gilliano, 22; and Effrain Ruiz Ortiz, 22.  Montiel, Celis, and Gilliano all list home addresses in Albertville, Alabama while Ortiz lists a home address in Crossville, Alabama.

After stopping the vehicle carrying the four men on Thursday night, investigators called in Gordon County’s K-9 drug dog, which alerted on the vehicle.  After securing a search warrant for the men’s vehicle, investigators found the marijuana wrapped heavily in plastic in the back of the men’s SUV.  The substance field-tested positive as marijuana.  The methamphetamine ice was also recovered at the scene.  A picture of the seized drugs is included below.

This incident remains under investigation by the Dalton Police Department’s Drug Unit.  If you have any information on drugs or other crimes in the City of Dalton, you can report that information anonymously to the Dalton Police Department’s Drug Tip Line at 706-278-9085, extension 221.

DPD Seeks Burglary Suspect

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect in several burglaries in the Underwood Street/Frazier Drive area.  Items taken include jewelry and electronics. 

In one incident on January 7th, a resident of Frazier Drive returned home and discovered a black male hiding behind one of the doors to a bedroom.  She fled the home, and the suspect fled through a back door.  Nothing was taken from the home.  Later in the week on January 9th, a neighboring resident on Underwood Drive returned home to find a man matching the description standing on her front porch.  He said that he was there to visit someone, but that person didn’t live at the residence.  He left on foot.  Investigators believe that these incidents are related. 

The suspect is described as being in his late 20’s or early 30’s, approximately 6 feet tall with a medium build.  He was wearing a brown or light gray jacket.  A composite sketch of the suspect is included below.  Witnesses say that the suspect’s face may appear slightly older than the figure in the sketch.  If you have any information on these incidents or the identity of the suspect, please contact Detective Greg Bates with the Dalton Police Department at 706-278-9085, extension 137 or the Crime Tip Line at extension 221.

DPD Offers Crime Prevention Tips to Property Owners

Investigators with the Dalton Police Department are taking note of some trends in recent property crimes that can be prevented by some simple actions taken by property owners.

Investigators are noticing an increase in property being taken from outdoor garages or carports in residential neighborhoods.  These items are mostly outdoor tools such as weed-eaters or lawn mowers or other power tools.  Most of these incidents have involved items that were left in plain sight in an open or easily accessible area of the property.  Investigators believe these items are being taken because they’re easily seen from the roadway and can be taken without any effort or actions that may be suspicious.  These items are difficult for police to recover because property owners often don’t record serial numbers for investigators to use if stolen property is recovered.  The Dalton Police Department urges property owners to take care to store valuable items out of sight and make sure to secure garage areas or sheds where these types of items are kept.  The DPD also recommends property owners to make a note of serial numbers on valuables to assist in recovery and return of stolen items.

Investigators are also noticing a trend of vehicle break-ins where valuable items and purses are left in plain sight inside the car.  The DPD urges vehicle owners to make sure to remove valuable items from vehicles left in driveways or parking lots of help prevent these types of crimes.

Investigators are also urging citizens in Dalton to report any suspicious activity in their neighborhood.  In a number of recent burglary cases, the crimes were committed during daylight hours and that while neighbors saw the crimes committed, they did not call to report the incidents.  If you see activity you think may be suspicious, call the police so officers can determine if the activity is related to crime. 

DPD Offers Rewards In Separate Robbery Cases

The Dalton Police Department is offering two $1,000 rewards for information leading to the arrests of suspects in two separate armed robbery cases that occurred recently.

The first robbery took place Friday night, January 8th at approximately 7:40 PM at the La Hidalguense store at 624 5th Avenue.  A Hispanic male entered the store and approached a clerk from behind, holding a knife to her throat and demanding money.  He took cash from the register and fled the store on foot, and witnesses told investigators he got into a dark-colored car down the street.  He is described as a dark-skinned Hispanic male, short and skinny.  The clerk told police he was wearing a green checkered plaid shirt or shirt-jacket.  If you have any information on this crime or the identity of the suspect, please call Detective Alan Woods at 706-278-9085, extension 145.

The second robbery occurred Monday morning, January 11th at the Check Advantage check cashing business at 924 South Thornton Avenue, and demanded money.  One of the suspects had a gun, which they pointed at the clerk.  After taking money from the clerk, the two left the business on foot, headed west on Bryant Avenue in the direction of Francis Street.  The white male is described as standing approximately 6’ tall or slightly taller, with brown colored hair.  He has a heavyset build, and is believed to be approximately 30 years old.  He wore a dark colored jacket with a hood.  The female is also described as being approximately 30 years old, and stood between 5’3 and 5’4.  She was described as having a “healthy” build, not fat, but not slender.  She wore a dark colored jacket, and had some sort of scarf covering her face.  If you have any information on this crime or the identity of the two suspects involved, please call Detective Greg Bates at 706-278-9085, extension 137.

Dalton Fire Department on Ice!

The Dalton Fire Department doesn't get many opportunities to practice their ice rescue skills.  So, recent frigid temperatures in northwest Georgia created for a golden opportunity for DFD Training Coordinator Keith Dempsey.

"We never get this chance," Dempsey said, standing near the frozen pond at Lakeshore Park.

Firefighters from Squad One trained with their rescue equipment for about an hour on Monday afternoon, using ropes and a body board to practice moving individuals who may become stranded on the ice.  Even in a southern city like Dalton, it's still possible to have an emergency on the ice.  Over the weekend, two teenagers in Gwinnett County died when they fell through the ice on a frozen pond.  And, while there haven't been any similar incidents here in Dalton, plenty of area residents have taken the risk to play on frozen ice.

The Dalton Fire Department surveyed several frozen bodies of water on Monday morning, "and every single pond we saw had footprints in the snow," said Dempsey.

Below: Firefighters from the Dalton Fire Department practice rescue techniques on the frozen pond at Lakeshore Park in Dalton

DPD Seeks Suspects in Armed Robbery

The Dalton Police Department is looking for two people, a white male and a white female, who robbed a Dalton check cashing business at gunpoint on Monday morning.

At approximately 8:50 AM, the two individuals entered the Check Advantage check cashing business at 924 South Thornton Avenue, and demanded money.  One of the suspects had a gun, which they pointed at the clerk.  After taking money from the clerk, the two left the business on foot, headed west on Bryant Avenue in the direction of Francis Street.

The white male is described as standing approximately 6’ tall or slightly taller, with brown colored hair.  He has a heavyset build, and is believed to be approximately 30 years old.  He wore a dark colored jacket with a hood.  The female is also described as being approximately 30 years old, and stood between 5’3 and 5’4.  She was described as having a “healthy” build, not fat, but not slender.  She wore a dark colored jacket, and had some sort of scarf covering her face.

If you have any information about this crime or the identity or location of these two individuals, please call Detective Greg Bates at 706-278-9085, extension 137, or dial 911.