Police and Community Survey

One of the missions of the Canton Police Department is to build long lasting relationships, partnerships and trust with the community we serve.  The men and women who serve in    uniform are working hard to follow many of the community oriented strategies established in the Presidential Task Force on 21st Century Community Policing Report.  One of the approaches of the report is for a Police Department to establish a Community Survey. 

With that said, beginning on Monday, March 7, 2016, a member of the Police Department’s Community Outreach Program will begin contacting our citizens by telephone who have  previously had contact with our Officers through filing reports, traffic stops and accident investigations.  The survey is designed for the agency to gather opinions and experiences from the citizens by assessing five key components of community involvement, safety, procedural justice, performance, contact and satisfaction.

In addition, the focus of the survey is to gather information about the public perception of the agency and to promote the understanding that the organization is interested in the community, seeks out and listens to community opinions and needs, and is responsive to the community.

Chief of Police Mark J. Mitchell said, “This survey is another avenue that we can use to engage, build trust and solicit vital feedback from our community.  We will use the data we receive from our survey to ensure that we are giving our citizens the highest performing and most professional law enforcement service they expect and deserve.”

Business Burglary

The Canton Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating two (2) suspects who are wanted for a Restaurant Burglary.  The incident took place during the early morning hours of March 2, 2016, at the Williamson Bros Bar-B-Q located at 1600 Marietta Highway, Canton GA.

At approximately 2:08 a.m., the business’s alarm was activated and two (2) suspects were observed on the business video system (see attached pictures) by forcibly gaining entrance through the rear door. 

Canton Detectives are actively working with Cherokee Sheriff’s Office to determine if the restaurant burglary could be related to another burglary that occurred in the County during the same time frame.

Please see the Canton Facebook page to view more images and surveillance video clips.  www.facebook.com/CantonGeorgiaPD

Citizens with information that can help solve this crime are asked to call the Canton Police Detectives at 770-720-4883 or to call 911. You can choose to remain anonymous.

Canton Police Explorers Compete at Competition

On February 13, 2016, the City of Canton Police Explorers participated in the 2016 Winterfest hosted by the Boy Scouts of America in Gatlinburg Tennessee. The Canton Police Explorers competed against 76 different agencies during the competition. The Canton Police Explorers placed 8^th in the Officer Down Scenario and 10^th place in the Driving Under the Influence/ Field Sobriety Scenario. 

Front left to right- Radiance Joseph, Katie Brangan, Bethany Worley, Taylor Roe.

Back left to right- Ofc. Pacer Cordry, Ofc. Mary Turner, Cindy Jodesty, Cynthia Jodesty, Rivka Joseph, Jacob Spivey, Conor McNamara, Chaolin Hancock, Estan Holloway, Ofc. Brantley Worley

CPD Awarded State Law Enforcement Certification Renewal

On November 4 – 5, 2015, an assessment team from the Georgia Association of Chiefs of  Police (GACP) conducted an in-depth audit of the department’s State Certification standards and proofs to ensure that the agency is in compliance with the process for certification renewal.  The organization received its initial State Certification in 1999.  On Friday, January 8, 2016, the department was officially awarded renewal from the GACP that is in recognition for successfully completing the agency’s 4^th State Re-Certification. 

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 the team during the assessment.

There are a number of 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 Mark J. Mitchell stated, “The GACP State Certification Program demonstrated this agency’s commitment and mindset to provide the highest level of professional law enforcement services to the community and citizens we serve. I am extremely proud  of the very hard work of our Certification Officer and supporting employees that was vital to this agency in obtaining this very high achievement for an organization in the Law Enforcement profession.

Note:  The agency will present its GACP State Certification plaque during this week’s Council Meeting on the evening of Thursday, February 4, 2016. 

Coffee with a Cop

The Police Department’s next Coffee with a Cop community event will be held on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, from 8:00  -  10:00 am., at the Dunkin Donuts located at 121 Marietta Hwy.  To date, this program has been very successful as it enables 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, “The Coffee with a Cop program brings our department and   the public together in a very relaxed and informal environment.  In previous events, I have watched as our Officers and citizens talk openly about issues that we face together in our community in an effort for this agency to provide a better service to our citizens.  This time   together also shows both adults and children that our Officers are not just “robots” but that we are humans who truly care about who we serve and what goes on in our City.”

Chief Mitchell added, “I would like to thank Dunkin Donuts and their management team for agreeing to host such an important community event.”    

Community Active Shooter Training

The Police Department in partnership with the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office 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 instruction that is built to provide strategies, guidance and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event.

This very important program that is open to all citizens will be held on Thursday, February 18, 2016 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. at the First Baptist Church of Canton located at 1 Mission Point Drive, 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, “Last month, the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office        graciously hosted a CRASE train the trainer class for our instructors along with instructors from the Woodstock Police Department and Holly Springs Police Department.  This   meeting ensured that all law enforcement across Cherokee County is on the same page as we educate our citizens on how to respond and react to an Active Shooter incident.”       

   

 

Missing Man with Alzheimer's Found

On January 22^nd, at 1:37 AM, City of Canton Officers were notified of a missing 67 year old male with Alzheimer’s that left Northside Cherokee Hospital at approximately 12:15 AM. A Mattie’s Call was issued for Mack Brown shortly after Officers arrived on scene. City of Canton Personnel, Cherokee County Search and Rescue, Canton Fire Personnel, and Cherokee County Sheriff Office Personnel began setting up a perimeter and started a strategic search for Mr. Brown. At approximately 4:50 AM, Mr. Brown was located nearby lying on the ground behind Little Caesar’s Pizza on Riverstone Parkway. Mr. Brown was transported to Northside Cherokee Hospital with hypothermic symptoms but was in stable condition.