4A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, September 5,2018
Sheriff’s Office earns certification
Jessica Brown Dawson County News
Dawson County Sheriff Jeff Johnson accepted the
State of Georgia Law Enforcement certification
from Hall County Sheriff and Georgia State Law
Enforcement Certification program board mem
ber Gerald Couch at the sheriff's office Aug. 31.
By Jessica Brown
jbrown@dawsonnews.com
The Dawson County
Sheriff’s Office recently
received the news that it
has been recertified as a
Georgia State Certified
Law Enforcement agen
cy. The office is one of
only 22 in the state to
have that designation.
Hall County Sheriff
Gerald Couch, who
serves on the board of
directors of the Georgia
State Law Enforcement
Certification program,
came to the Dawson
County Sheriff’s Office
on Aug. 31 to present an
award to Sheriff Jeff
Johnson and his staff
commemorating the
agency’s achievement.
“Basically what (certi
fication is) is making
sure that you’re doing the
right thing in the right
way and this sheriff’s
office is doing just that.
It also represents a very
significant professional
achievement for the
agency,” Couch said.
“State certification is not
given. It’s earned. Each
and every member of this
agency has to earn that
certification.”
Certification is a vol
untary program through
the Georgia Association
of Chiefs of Police and is
re-evaluated every three
years.
The DCSO was first
endorsed as a Georgia
State Certified Law
Enforcement Operation
in 2008 and was the sev
enth sheriff’s office in
the state to become state
certified.
In order to be recerti
fied, the agency needed
to meet 129 standards in
eight areas of law
enforcement.
Proof that the agency
has followed all 129
standards can be a photo
or news story, incident
reports and arrest sum
maries that demonstrate
how officers adhere to
the given standards.
Capt. Ray Goodie of
the DCSO’s office of
professional standards
has been keeping
detailed folders of all
eight areas that were pre
sented to the assessors
from the police chiefs’
association. He was also
awarded with a certifi
cate of appreciation from
the Georgia Association
of Chiefs of Police.
“It takes a lot of hard
work to earn this but
you’ve got to have the tip
of the spear and that’s
what Capt. Goodie is.
He’s done a fine, fine
job,” Couch said.
During Friday’s event
Dawsonville Mayor Mike
Eason and former City of
Cumming police chief
explained that recertifi
cation is more in-depth
and requires more work
to achieve. While it’s one
thing to become certi
fied, it’s another to main
tain that achievement, he
said.
“The validation of your
recertification is more
important than your cer
tification because they
look at all those points to
make sure that during the
past three years that you
have done in every field
what you’re supposed to
be documenting,” Eason
said.
Prior to serving as
mayor, Eason served as
police chief for four
years and worked as a
special agent for the
Georgia Bureau of
Investigation for over 30
years, and remembers
firsthand the importance
of state certification.
“It’s not just you do it
when (the assessors)
come,” Eason said. “You
do it during the time that
you’re certified and you
have to keep a folder on
every policy and exam
ples of how it’s been fol
lowed.”
Johnson emphasized
the importance of the
certification as the
DCSO is one of only a
few in the state that can
claim the title.
“The honor goes to the
men and women of this
office. They’re the ones
that every day that are
out on the front lines and
doing what needs to be
done and adhering to the
policies,” Johnson said.
“Certification is not a
weak process... This is
an ongoing everyday
thing. You’re looking at
things, you’re reviewing
policies, you’re review
ing the incidents to make
sure they’re compliant
with policies. It’s really
an undertaking but Capt.
Goodie, my hat’s off to
you.”
Couch explained some
of the benefits that come
with being a state certi
fied agency. It confirms
that agency practices are
consistent with profes
sional standards, increas
es operation and admin
istrative effectiveness,
provides officers with
enhanced understanding
of policies and practices
and increases public con
fidence in the agency as
well as governmental and
community support.
“You have a fine, fine
sheriff and you have fine
sheriff’s office - one to
be very, very proud of,”
Couch said. “It’s good to
know if things get a little
rough we’ve got folks we
can call on and vice
versa.”
Johnson was also
recently appointed to
serve on the Georgia
Commission on Family
Violence by Gov. Nathan
Deal. The GCFV is a
state agency that strives
to provide leadership to
end family violence by
promoting safety, ensur
ing accountability and
improving justice for
generations to come.
“I look forward to
serving with an outstand
ing group of leaders
throughout our state,”
Johnson said. “I am cer
tain that collectively we
can work together to
enjoy successes in our
state and our county.”
Home invasion
suspects heard
about valuables
via ‘grapevine’
DCN Regional Staff
One home invasion suspect allegedly wearing a
baby-face Halloween mask and three
others had “heard through the grape
vine” about a man having valuables at
his home, according to authorities.
Dawson residents Preston Andrew
Anderson, 18, Quintin Chase
McConnell, 18, Blake Mitchell
McKinzie, 17, and Gavyne Anthony
Sowell, 17, were charged Aug. 17
with home invasion, aggravated
assault and possession of a firearm
during the commission of a felony.
The victim told authorities four
men came into the residence around
midnight Aug. 17, with at least two
carrying pistols, said Lumpkin
County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jason
Canupp.
Canupp said the suspects then
demanded valuables from him.
“The victim was able to basically
make it to another door and took off
running to a neighbor’s house,” he
said.
When the suspects were attempting
to drive away from the scene, deputies
arrived in the area of Margaret Drive
and Old Ellijay Road in Dahlonega.
“When (the deputies) pulled up and
blocked the vehicle in, one suspect
they saw fled from the vehicle,”
Canupp said.
A search of the woods led authori
ties to two suspects. Law enforcement
then received two separate calls about
suspicious males walking down the
road in that area.
One was arrested on Hwy. 9, while another was
taken into custody on Ben Higgins Road.
“From what we understood, they did not know the
victim personally but had some mutual acquaintances
of the victim and had heard through the grapevine that
he might have valuables,” Canupp said.
Canupp said multiple suspects had property of the
victim, including money, watches and electronics.
“It was smaller things like some speakers and stuff,
mainly things they could fit in a backpack,” he said.
The Halloween mask and one pistol were recovered
by law enforcement.
Drivers, Cutters
Wahoo Docks Job Fair
Fridav September 7th
11Cam-2pm
MUSIC • FOOD • ACTIVITIES • PRIZES
Now Hiring:
Welders, Forklift
203 Chesterra Dr. • Dahlonega, GA • 866-532-8411
wahoo wahoo
decks docks
www.wahoodecks.com
www.wahoodocks.com
