Canton Police Recover Deceased Subject Located Near River

Press Release Update: Thursday, July 7, 2022:

The deceased subject located in the area of Waleska Street and Reformation Parkway has been identified as:

William Watkins

42-year-old of Canton, Georgia

An autopsy examination performed by the GBI Medical Examiner's Officer shows the preliminary results of the death of William Watkins, to be homicide. No further details are being released at this time due to the case remaining active and ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Canton Police department at (770) 720-4883.

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On Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Officers responded to a deceased subject located in the area of Waleska Street and Reformation Parkway, in the woodline. Officers recovered the body of an adult male which appears to match the description of William Watkins, who was reported missing on June 18, 2022.

This incident is actively under investigation. Additional information will be made available as the investigation progresses and the deceased person is positively identified. We ask anyone with information to please contact the Canton Police Department at (770) 720-4883.

Officer Involved Shooting

The GBI is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Canton.  Officers responded to a local subdivision to investigate a suspicious person at 2:19 am on Wednesday, May 25, 2022, when the shooting occurred.  One man is deceased, and no officers were reported injured.  The incident happened on the 700 block of Midway Ave.  

As per the department's policy, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is conducting the investigation, and the Canton Police Department is fully cooperating.  Further questions or inquiries about this incident should be forwarded to the GBI-PIO.

Additional information will be made available as the investigation progresses.

Suspect Identified In Vehicle Shooting

Canton Detectives secure arrest warrants for a Cartersville man in connection with an unoccupied vehicle being shot on Thursday, May 12th.  The shooting transpired around 6:00 AM at the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) office located at 100 Medical lane.  Officers arrived at the DCS office after receiving a call of shots fired in the area.  Officers discovered two bullet holes in the rear of a Chevy Tahoe registered to the DCS. 

29-year-old Timothy Gregory was charged with Aggravated Assault (Felony), Interference with Government Property (Felony), Discharge of firearm on Property of Another (Misd), and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon (Felony).

Canton Detectives utilized video from the DCS office and the assistance of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office to secure the criminal charges.  Gregory is currently under arrest at the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center without bond in connection to a similar incident in the County.

DCS Vehicle with projectile impact location

Canton Chief of Police Stephen Merrifield said, "I would like to thank the reporting citizen and the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office for their assistance with this investigation.  We are grateful to work in a community that supports us, and we will continue to do our very best to quickly, safely, and professionally serve Canton".

Canton PD Welcomes New Officer

The Canton Police Department held a swearing-in ceremony for Officer Dalton Witt on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.  Officer Witt was sworn into the department by Judge Thomas A. Roach.  Family, friends, and other members of the Canton Police force were in attendance to show their support. 

Chief Stephen Merrifield stated, "We are excited to have Officer Witt be part of the Canton Police Department.  We believe he has the community mindset that will be an asset to our agency and the community we serve." 

City of Canton False Alarm Program

The City of Canton will go live with its new Alarm Program on Tuesday, March 29, 2022.  In an effort to reduce false alarms within the City of Canton, the City has updated its Alarm Ordinance and collaborated with PM AM Corporation to implement and administer the False Alarm Reduction Program.  The partnership will also provide educational training for our citizens.  PM AM is a national company with expertise in this area and will be responsible for our alarm permit registrations, false alarm billings, and educational material.  Per Chief Merrifield, PM AM has a record of providing excellent customer service.  As of Tuesday, March 29, 2022, a False Alarm Management System (FAMS) website has been established to assist City of Canton customers at www.FAMSpermit.com/Canton.  Prior to date please continue to contact the Canton Police Department at 770-720-4883 for questions or permit processing.

The goal of the ordinance and the City’s partnership with PM AM is to reduce the number of false alarm activations requiring a response by the Canton Police Department.  Chief Merrifield states, “This will free up police resources and reduce the fines levied on alarm customers by having a company who can reach out to the citizens of our city who may have alarm malfunctions.  With this type of partnership, the alarm owner should be notified quickly of any false alarms so they can correct the malfunction.”  With fewer false alarm activations the officers will be able to respond to more urgent calls.

For current alarm permit holders, there is nothing that will need to be done.  All account and transaction history will be uploaded to the new system.  As of Tuesday, March 29, 2022, users will be able to visit the citizen web portal and they will be able to request a user name and password.  Once the user validates their information, the system will email back their user name and password.  For those citizens who are unable to complete the new account setup, you may contact PM AM at 1-855-996-5443 and a customer service representative will be able to assist you.

Initial Alarm Registration:  The City of Canton Alarm Ordinance requires all residences and businesses to apply for an alarm permit by completing an alarm permit application available at www.FAMSpermit.com/Canton.  Alternatively, citizens can also complete the application by hand and send it to:

City of Canton False Alarm Program, P.O. Box 143517, Irving TX 75014

Failure to register your alarm will result in additional fees or fines.

For any questions related to the City of Canton Alarm Reduction Program please call PM AM at 

1-855-996-5443, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5:30.

Contact: Karen Murphy

Karen.murphy@cantonga.gov

Officers Encounter Man With Gun

Canton Officers responded to an unknown trouble call where they encountered a man armed with a gun, and shots were fired. The man is deceased, and no officers were reported injured. The incident occurred on Saturday, March 26, 2022, around 1:28 AM at 419 Parkbrook Way, Canton Georgia. As per the department's policy, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is conducting the investigation and the Canton Police Department is fully cooperating. Further questions or inquiries about this incident should be forwarded to the GBI-PIO.

Canton Police Department Awarded State Law Enforcement Certification Renewal

Cpt. M. Baldwin, Lt. R. Campbell, Coordinator Chuck Grover, Mark Gavala, Chief Stephen Merrifield, Deputy Chief W. Turner, Cpt. J. Tucker 

On November 2, 2021, an assessment team from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP) conducted an in-depth assessment of the department’s State Certification standards and proofs to ensure that the agency is in compliance with the process for certification renewal. The department received its initial State Certification in 1999. On Thursday, December 16, 2021, at the City Council meeting, Charles "Chuck" Grover, Coordinator of State Certifications congratulated the department by presenting a plaque for successfully completing the audit. While presenting the plaque, he stated "Being certified is a very very important part of being a police department and something as members of the city council, and the mayor and city manager you should be very proud of your department". He added, "In law enforcement, it's something they chose to do, it's totally voluntary, nobody making them do it, they do it because they want to be the best they can be". In addition, the Team Leader for the Assessment Team was extremely complimentary of the agency’s Certification Officer, Mark Gavala, and employees for their attention to detail, assistance, and cooperation provided to the team during the assessment.

There are many benefits associated with this Official recognition:

To the Community:

• 
  Certification increases the law enforcement agency’s ability to prevent crime and social disorder through more effective and efficient delivery of law enforcement services to the public.
• Certification enhances community understanding of the law enforcement agency and its role in the community as well as its goals and objectives.
• Certification, in conjunction with the philosophy of community policing, commits the agency to a broad range of programs (such as crime prevention through environmental design, Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out...etc) that directly benefit the community.
• Certification creates a forum in which police and citizens work together to control and prevent crime. This partnership will help citizens to understand the challenges that confront law enforcement. Law Enforcement will, in turn, receive clear direction from the community about its expectations.

To the Agency / City:

• Certification requires that agency policies and procedures are in written form and are available to all agency personnel at all times.
• Certification assures employees that every aspect of the agency’s personnel system is in accord with professional standards and that the system is both fair and equitable.
• The morale of the agency is enhanced by increasing the employee’s confidence in the effectiveness and efficiency of their agency. The operations of the agency become more streamlined and consistent.
• Certification standards address safety issues and ensure all employees receive proper equipment and adequate training.
• Certification is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence. Employees will take pride in their agency, knowing that it represents the very best in law enforcement.
• Certification increases cooperation and coordination among other law enforcement agencies and other branches of the criminal justice system.
• The certification process requires an in-depth review of every aspect of the agency’s organization, management, operations, and administration.
• The certification standards provide norms against which agency performance can be measured and monitored over time.
• Certification provides objective measures to justify decisions related to budget requests, operational needs, and personnel policies.
• Certification serves as a yardstick to measure the effectiveness of the agency’s programs and services. The services provided are defined and uniformity of service is assured.
• Certification streamlines operations, providing more consistent and more effective deployment of agency resources.

Chief Merrifield said "I am very appreciative of the hard work our Certification Manager, Mr. Mark Gavala, has performed in order to maintain our State Certification. I feel this is an important step in assuring our community that we are transparent, well trained, and current on the best practices of the law enforcement profession".