The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying two women who apparently worked together to shoplift more than $100 in merchandise from a clothing store. The women took the merchandise into a dressing room together and left behind only empty boxes.

The incident happened October 27^th at the Kohl’s on Shugart Road. Just before 4:00 in the afternoon, two women walked into the store and started to shop. One suspect, a blonde woman wearing a black and white shirt, carried a shoe box, a package of tights, and other items into the same dressing woman as her companion, a brunette who wore a gray or blue colored top and carried a light colored purse. The women then left the store and drove away together in a white-colored small SUV. Stolen were a pair of size 10 stiletto high heeled shoes valued at $49.99, a package of All-Over Solutions brand tights valued at $64.99, a package of unknown branded tights valued at $14, and a Modernform brand bra valued at $32.

The suspects were recorded on store surveillance and pictures are included below. Anyone who recognizes these women is asked to please contact Officer Nicholas Smith at 706-278-9085, extension 9560 or by email at [email protected].

Below: The suspects were recorded on store surveillance.

The Dalton Police Department has been awarded a major traffic enforcement grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) in Atlanta.

Dalton Police Department received the grant in recognition of its lifesaving work as the coordinating agency of GOHS’s Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network. There are sixteen traffic enforcement networks across the state that help enforce Georgia’s year-round safety belt, speed and impaired driving campaigns.

“This is our way of supporting the Dalton Police Department through its continued leadership via Coordinator David Saylors and the Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network traffic enforcement network,” said GOHS Law Enforcement Services Director Roger Hayes. “We want to make sure they can continue their region-wide efforts to protect Georgia motorists from drunk and otherwise dangerous drivers. They’ve proven their dedication and this grant serves not only as recognition for that hard work, but as means for continuing the GOHS mission of reducing crashes, injuries and fatalities on our roads.”

The Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network Traffic Enforcement Network includes law enforcement agencies in [10] counties, which include Aragon, Bartow County, Calhoun, Catoosa County, Cave Spring, Cedartown, Chatsworth, Chattooga County, Chickamauga, Cohutta, Dade County, Dalton, Dalton State College, Emerson, Eton, Fairmount, Floyd County, Fort Oglethorpe, Gordon County, Kingston, LaFayette, Murray County, Polk County, Polk County Sheriff, Ringgold, Rockmart, Rome, Trenton, Trion, Tunnel Hill, Varnell, Walker County, White, Whitfield County.

“We really appreciate the resources and partnership we receive from participation with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, it is making a difference in our community,” said Chief Jason Parker. “The timing couldn’t be better since we have seen a sizeable increase in traffic crashes in our community, and that mirrors what’s happening statewide. The traffic enforcement network concept works well because it applies a strategic, coordinated approach to improving highway safety here at home and across the state.”

The GOHS grant awards $20,000 to the Dalton Police Department, with half to support the activities of the traffic enforcement network and half to be spent on traffic safety equipment for Dalton Police Department. The coordinator in the Mountain Area Traffic Enforcement Network region will coordinate year-round waves of high visibility, concentrated patrols, multi-jurisdictional road checks and sobriety checkpoints as a partner in campaigns such as Click It or Ticket, Operation Zero Tolerance and the Thunder Taskforce.

For more information on the Dalton Police Department’s award, contact David Saylors 706-278-9085, [email protected]. For more information on the grant program, call 404-656-6996 or visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a man who stole a wallet that had been mistakenly left behind by a gas station customer. The wallet contained cash, a credit card, and personal documents among other items.

The theft happened on September 30^th at the Circle K store at 1010 East Walnut Avenue. At approximately 6:30 pm, the victim was paying for his purchase when he placed his wallet on a freezer case in front of the counter. The victim then walked out of the store, forgetting his wallet. Around the same time, a white male wearing shorts and a black polo shirt walked up to the counter and is seen on surveillance video picking up the victim’s wallet and walking out. The suspect clearly looks around the store before taking the wallet and walking out. The victim came back into the store moments later. The suspect left immediately in a tan or gold colored early 2000’s model Toyota Camry. The victim reported that the wallet contained at least $380 in cash, including two $100 bills.

The suspect is a white male with dark hair and a mustache and facial hair. He wore thick rimmed glasses and a black polo shirt with some type of logo on the chest, tan shorts, and black sneakers. Pictures of the suspect are included below.

Anyone who recognizes the suspect is asked to please contact Officer Mollie Parker at 706-278-9085, extension 9405 or by email at [email protected].

Below: The suspect was recorded on store surveillance

It’s fine to eat more chicken, but we do ask that you pay for it and also that you don’t steal money in the process.

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect who used some fast talking to fool a Chick-fil-A cashier into forking over more than $90 in cash and also some free food.

The incident happened on October 4^th at the Walnut Square Mall Chick-fil-A. The suspect, a black male with braids in his hair and wearing a white t-shirt, ordered food and tried to pay for it with a $100 bill. While the cashier was counting out change, the suspect started trying to distract her with questions and kept her talking. As she was about to hand over the change, the suspect asked for the $100 back, stating that he had exact change. While keeping the cashier talking, the suspect then reached across the counter and picked up his receipt and told the cashier she hadn’t given him his change yet. In her confusion, she then handed over the $92.29 in change she’d already counted out. The suspect then left the restaurant with the extra cash and also his meal.

A picture of the suspect is included below. Anyone who recognizes this man is asked to please contact Detective Brian Shirley at 706-278-9085, extension 9189.

Below: The suspect recorded by Chick-fil-A’s surveillance system.

The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help identifying two women who were apparently working together to try to rip off cashiers at the Walmart Neighborhood Market using a quick change scam. One of the women succeeded in stealing $100 from the store.

The incident happened at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on West Walnut Avenue on October 4^th. Shortly after 1:00 pm, the two women entered the store. One of the women asked for change for $700. After the cashier explained that she only had enough money at her register to give change for $200, the suspect handed over two $100 bills and asked for change. After getting her change in $20 bills, the suspect then asked to have her change in $50 bills, handing back some of the change while concealing five of the $20 bills in her purse. The cashier didn’t realize until after the suspect had left the store that she’d been ripped off. The suspect was a light-skinned woman with blonde hair and a medium build wearing a pink t-shirt and a long black skirt.

At the same time, the second female went to the customer service desk and also asked for change for $700. Investigators say the second suspect also tried the same tactic to confuse the cashier but was unsuccessful. This suspect was darker skinned, with a slim build wearing a black shirt and black vest with a long black and white skirt. Both suspects left the store together in a SUV.

Pictures of the suspects are included below. Anyone who recognizes these women is asked to please contact Detective Brian Shirley at 706-278-9085, extension 9189.

Below: The two suspects. The woman in pink succeeded in taking $100 from the store while investigators say the second woman was not successful.

The Dalton Red Carpet Half Marathon will return to the streets of Dalton on October 21st. The half marathon, 5K, and 2K races will require several roads to be closed in the morning hours. Dalton Police personnel will be on hand to help direct traffic around the race route, but motorists should plan alternate routes to avoid delays.

Roads and lanes around the course will be closed beginning at approximately 7:45 am and they will remain closed until the last runner is past which could be after noon.

Roads affected by the races will include:

• King Street– closed but voters will need to park at the parking deck
• Selvidge Street– closed from the entrance to BB&T to Crawford Street until 1:00 PM
• Pentz Street– closed from King Street to Crawford Street all day. Closed from Emery Street to Morris Street during the 2k.
• Hamilton Street– closed from Hawthorne Street to Franklin Street (until last runner of 5k passes, then closed at Emery Street on the south end)
• Franklin Street– closed until the last 5k runner exits onto Thornton Avenue.
• Thornton Avenue– outside southbound lane closed from Walnut Avenue to Waugh Street
• Waugh Street– outside eastbound lane closed from Jones Street to Thornton Avenue.
• Jones Street– closed from Waugh Street to Crawford Street
• Crawford Street– closed from Cappes Street to Valley Drive
• Ridge Street– Closed from Murray Hill to Crawford Street
• Lewell Street– entrances to the east side of the cemetery at Cuyler Street and Gen Thomas Drive closed during the half-marathon
• Emery Street– Closed at Tibbs Road and closed from Lewell Street to Thornton Avenue during the 5K and half marathon. Westbound lane closed from Hamilton Street to Pentz Street for 2K.
• Miller Street– Closed from Franklin Street to Emery Street
• Valley Drive– closed from Franklin Avenue to Crawford Street
• Cuyler Street– closed between Thornton Avenue and Valley Drive
• Walnut Aveune– outside, westbound lane closed from Thornton Avenue to Tibbs Road
• Tibbs Road– closed between Walnut Avenue and Shugart Road
• Maple Way/Ella Ln– closed
• Woodvalley Drive / Woodvalley Court– closed
• Shugart Road– outside northbound lane closed
• Chattanooga Road– outside eastbound lane closed from Shugart Road to Old Chattanooga Road
• Old Chattanooga Road– closed until the last half marathon runner is clear
• Thornton Avenue– partial southbound lane closed (6 feet from curb) from Old Chattanooga Road to Trammel Street
• Thornton Avenue– southbound lane closed from Trammel Street to Hawthorne Street
• Hamilton Street– access lane beside the Waugh Street Bridge closed
• Morris Street– closed from Thornton Avenue to Hamilton Street

For more information on the Red Carpet Half Marathon, visit the event’s website at daltonhalf.com.