Auto Theft Suspect Apprehended

On January 9, 2017, at approximately 9:00 am, a resident from the 100 block of Juniper Street reported their white Dodge Ram had been stolen from their home.  The owner of the vehicle had started the truck and was letting it warm up while they returned inside the home.  When the owner of the vehicle went back outside he found it stolen.

A short time later, a Cherokee County Sheriffs K-9 Officer observed the vehicle entering the River Green Subdivision located on Hwy 20.  The K-9 Officer and Canton Officers located the unoccupied vehicle in a driveway of the General’s Place section of River Green.  At that point, they observed a white male near the vehicles location run into the wood line behind some homes.

Officers chased the suspect into the woods when he circled back and a citizen saw him in a backyard near where he entered the woods and notified a nearby Officer.  Officer’s quickly located him behind a home and arrested him without incident.  He was taken to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center.

Chief of Police Mark J. Mitchell stated, "I would like to thank the Cherokee Sheriff's Office for their alert action, very timely assistance and dedicated support that played a very vital role in the apprehension of this individual.  In addition, we appreciate several of the River Green residents for getting involved by calling 911 to let us know they spotted the suspect which helped us pinpoint the suspect's location before he was taken into custody." 

The suspect was identified as:

Joshua D. Reese

26 yrs. Old

From Canton GA

Offenses:

Theft By Taking (Auto) O.C.G.A. 16-8-12 (Felony)

Obstructing or Hindering Law Enforcement Officer 16-10-24 (MISD)

Mr. Reese also had an outstanding warrant for “Failure to Appear” on a traffic offense.

Police Recruitment Program

The Police Department is currently hiring for the position of Police Officer. The agency is actively looking for diverse men and women who aspire to join a very professional organization and possess a community mindset to serve and protect the citizens of Canton. 

To further the goal of employing those candidates who are the best fit for the department, the organization will be hosting its second “Police Recruitment Program” on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, from 3:00 - 5:00 pm., on the third floor of Canton City Hall located at 151 Elizabeth Street, Canton, Ga. 30114. 

Those who are interested in attending this informative event will need to be there no later than 3:00 pm. Attendees will be given a presentation that covers the agency’s Mission Statement, Core Values, Nobility Statement, budget facts, breakdown of latest new equipment, current programs, work-projects and an overview of the organization’s structure. In addition, presenters will cover a summary of the department’s hiring standards, the hiring process and employee salary / benefits. The event will end with a question and answer session for persons in attendance. 

Chief Mark J. Mitchell stated, “We are very excited to host this event because our goal is to attract the most professional, viable, diverse and community oriented candidates that are the best fit for our organization. We are working hard to build a team that strives to connect with our citizens, protect our public, supports each other and endeavors to improve the quality of life for the community we serve.  We want to be proactive in the recruitment of Officer candidates and not simply reactive by posting the position and wait for individuals to apply.” Chief Mitchell urges citizens to monitor the department’s active Facebook page for further recruiting information over the coming weeks before the event.

The agency will also be reaching out to military outsource centers, colleges, law enforcement academies and other civic organizations in an effort to attract the best applicants for the position of Police Officer.    

 

El departamento de la policía está actualmente contratando para la posición de policías patrulleros. La agencia esta activamente buscas hombres y mujeres quién aspiran unirse a una profesional/organización y tienen la mentalidad de servir y proteger la comunidad y los ciudadanos de Cantón. La meta es emplear aquellos candidatos quiénes puedan adaptarse al departamento.

La agencia haciendo el segundo "Programa Contratación de Policía" el Martes 24 Enero del 2017, de 3:00 - 5:00 pm., en el tercio piso en 151 Elizabeth Street, Cantón, GA. 30114. Aquellos quién estén interesado en asistir a este evento necesitarán estar presente no más tarde que 3:00 pm. La asistencia es voluntaria se dará una presentación que cubre la Misión y Valores de la agencia, presupuesto, Equipo de trabajo, programas actuales, proyectos de trabajo y visión general de la agencia.

 Además, se cubrirá en resumen las normas para contratación del departamento, el proceso de contratación y salario / beneficios de empleo. El evento acabará con una sesión de pregunta y respuesta para personas interesadas.

El Jefe de Policía Mark J. Mitchell declaró, " Estamos muy emocionados por este evento, nuestra meta es a atraer a más diverso profesionales, que protejan nuestra comunidad. Candidatos que se puedan adaptar a nuestra organización. Nosotros estamos trabajando duro para construir un equipo que pueda conectarse con nuestros ciudadanos, proteger nuestro público, apoyarnos uno a los otros y que esfuercen en mejorar la calidad de vida para la comunidad que servimos. Queremos a ser proactivos en la contratación de candidatos y no simplemente esperar por que las personas apliquen."

El Jefe de Policía Mitchell los invita a unirse a la página de Facebook de el Departamento de la policía para más información del evento. La agencia estará hiendo a las centro de la fuera a militar, colegios, academias de policía y otras organizaciones en esfuerzo de atraer los mejor solicitantes para la posición de policía patrullero.

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.”