Shoplifter Wanted

On December 22, 2016, at approximately 9:00 AM Canton Officers responded to a theft in progress call at Wal-Mart (1550 Riverstone Parkway).  A Wal-Mart Loss Prevention Officer observed a female placing a large amount of items in a shopping cart.  The suspect then attempted to leave the store without purchasing the items in the cart.  The Loss Prevention Officer attempted to stop the suspect when she fled the area on foot.  Canton Police Officers were able to obtain information about the suspect from items she left behind.

The suspect attempted to take a large amount of teeth whitening strips, and razor blades valued at over $2,000.00.

Suspect:

Kelly Grace Obrien

White Female

26 yrs. Old

5’5”

Blue Eyes

If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Canton Police Department: 770-720-4883 or call 911.

Canton Police Hires New Officer

The Canton Police Department has recently hired Officer Kathleen Gerdes to join their team. For the past two years Officer Gerdes has worked as an Officer at the Floyd County Police Department. She is the sister of Detective Allison Gerdes who is employed with the Canton Police Department in the Criminal Investigations Department.

In her free time, Officer Gerdes is an avid outdoor enthusiast who likes to spend time with family and read books. She was sworn in, December 14, 2016 at 4:00 PM, by the honorable Judge Thomas D. Roach at City Hall. Over the next few months, Officer Gerdes will be working in our field training program to learn the streets of Canton and get to know the members of our great community.

Chief Mark J. Mitchell said, "Officer Kathleen Gerdes will be an excellent fit for this organization. During the course of her employment process, we found that her experience, attitude, mindset and background shows that she is the caliber of Officer that we need at our department to both protect and engage with our Community."

Promotion Ceremony

During a promotion ceremony at Canton City Hall on December 14, 2016, Officer Patrick Duncan was recognized for his promotion to the rank of Corporal. Corporal Duncan has been with the Canton Police Department for over three years. His wife and son pinned his new badge on his uniform. Prior to his service on the police force, Corporal Duncan served in the armed forces for over eight years.

Chief Mark J. Mitchell said, "We are extremely proud of Cpl. Patrick Duncan for this accomplishment. He is a very dedicated and loyal member of this agency and is going to work hard to direct, coach, mentor and professionally lead the Officers he supervises. Cpl. Duncan will be a great addition to our supervision team."

CPD Lieutenant Receives Leadership Award

Over the past year, Asst. Support Services Bureau Commander Lt. Matt Baldwin has attended the FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association’s (LEEDA Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute and Executive Leadership Institute program. 

During the course of his studies, Lt. Baldwin engaged in topics to include personality diagnostics, leadership case studies, mentoring, developing your people, performance     management, risk management and credibility.  In addition, he was involved in such areas as command discipline and liability, dealing with problem employees, and leading change within an organization.  Furthermore, the Lieutenant engaged in other studies such as generational leadership, paradigms and change objectives, power and influence, transactional and transformational leadership, and the future of law enforcement.

Lt. Baldwin just recently completed this intense program and has been awarded the FBI/LEEDA Trilogy Award and will be recognized for this very important accomplishment     during the City Council Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 5, 2017. 

Lt. Matt Baldwin

Canton Police Chief Mark J. Mitchell stated, “I am extremely proud of Lt. Baldwin for the commitment, dedication and hard work he put into finishing such a very important training   program.  All of our employees are vital to the success of this organization so, we must invest in their career development which not only improves their skill sets but also continues to     develop our department into a premier professional agency that supports our employees and the community we serve.” 

Chief Mitchell added, “One of our training goals for the new fiscal year is to continue to send our supervisors to this vital program with the objective of having all of our leaders obtain the Trilogy Award in the future.”  

 

 

 

Community Active Shooter Training

The Police Department in partnership with the First Baptist Church of Canton will be hosting a community training program for Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). This course is designed and built on the Avoid, Deny, Defend  strategy that was developed by the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center located at Texas State University. Agency instructors will be teaching this course that is designed to provide strategies, guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event.

This extremely important program is open to all citizens and will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2016 from 6:30—8:00 pm., at the First Baptist Church of Canton located at 1 Mission Point, Canton Ga. 30114. Seating will be at a premium and on a first come - first serve basis. Children are welcome to attend but parental guidance is strongly recommended as some of the presented material will contain scenes that are sensitive to some viewers.

Chief of Police Mark J. Mitchell stated, “Throughout this year, we have held CRASE events around our City and the program has been a huge success. Close to a thousand citizens previously attended the life saving training that was very well received. I strongly believe this interaction is another avenue where we can establish long lasting relationships and trust with our community. Additionally, this also educates our community on the fact that all law enforcement in Cherokee County is educating our citizens on how to respond and react to an Active Shooter incident.”

Chief Mitchell added, “I would like to thank the First Baptist Church for working with us to host such an important community event.”    

 

Dumpster Days

This Saturday, November 19, 2016, the City of Canton will be conducting “Dumpster Days”.  This is an opportunity for any resident of the City of Canton to dispose of trash or unwanted items free of charge.  The event is taking place at City Hall, located a t 151 Elizabeth St from 8:30 AM until 1:00 PM.  Please bring proof of residency when dropping items off.

Dumpster Days is being conducted by the Police Department’s Code Enforcement Division, in partnership with the City Public Works Department, Waste Management Systems and Revolution Church.

Previous Dumpster Days events have removed eleven (11) fully loaded roll-off containers full of refuse and eleven (11) dump truck loads of trash.  The junk that was removed from of our community included mattresses, sofas, large appliances, over ninety (90) tires and a multitude of other waste from residential yards, ditches and wooded areas.  In all, over thirty-one (31) tons of rubbish was removed from  locations in our City.   

Chief of Police Mark J. Mitchell stated, “This program is an excellent example of how partnerships and working together can make a huge impact on our community.  I cannot commend our Officers, Waste Management Systems, the City Public Works Department and Revolution Church enough for their dedication, effort and passion with this project.  Furthermore, the combined focus and work to clean up these parts of our community will go a long way toward reducing the potential for criminal activity which greatly increases the quality of life for the citizens we serve.”

**Special Note** We cannot accept fuel tanks, motor oil, fuel drums, household hazardous waste, antifreeze, paint, paint thinners, pesticides, pool chemicals or commercial waste.  If you have any questions please contact our Code Enforcement Officer - Joel Parker by phone: 770-720-4883 or by e-mail: joel.parker@canton-georgia.com

Coffee with a Cop

The Police Department’s next Coffee with a Cop community event will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2016 from 8:00  -  10:00 am., at the Dunkin Donuts located at 121 Marietta Hwy, Canton, Ga.  This program continues to grow and allows the agency and citizens to  connect, engage and build important trusting relationships that are vital to improving the quality of life for everyone in the community.

Chief Mark J. Mitchell stated, “We strongly believe Coffee with a Cop has become one of the most important monthly programs that we are involved in that is vital to us connecting with the citizens we serve.  Given the current tense environment in our nation between communities and law enforcement, we feel this program helps to build a foundation of trust with each segment of our community and continues to grow a very positive culture between our hard working department and this great City.” 

Chief Mitchell said, “I want to thank our citizens for their support and feedback which greatly assists us in providing better police services and also “humanizes the badge” to both adults and children.  Our hope is that our citizens will see that we truly care about them, their quality of life, their safety and what goes on in our City.”

Chief Mitchell added, “I would like to thank Dunkin Donuts and their management team for inviting us to be a part of such an important community event.”