Newspaper Page Text
The True Citizen, Wednesday, April 28, 2021 — Page 7
^FOR THE RECORD
City hires Blanchard as consultant to regain police accreditation
WPD Chief Willie Burley, center, meets with Lewis Blanchard and Naise Gordon to discuss the
accreditation procedures.
DIANA ROYAL
jdianaroyal@gmail.com
The City of Waynesboro has
hired a temporary consultant to
help the police department earn
the state accreditation lost by
the agency two years ago.
In a unanimous decision at
its regular monthly meeting on
April 19, with members Willie
Williams and James “Chick”
Jones absent during voting,
council approved hiring former
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
Chief Deputy Lewis Blanchard
for a six-week consulting pe
riod,
Waynesboro Police Chief
Willie Burley assured council
that hiring Blanchard would be
beneficial to the agency as well
as to the community, especially
in receiving state certification
and looking into grant funding.
“We welcome his exper
tise in reviewing our polices,
procedures and accreditation
needs to help improve our ser
vice,” Burley said. The WPD
lost its state accreditation sta
tus following a review by the
Georgia Association of Chiefs
of Police (GACP) in 2019 prior
to the city’s hiring of Burley.
Blanchard’s primary focus is
to review the policies and pro
cedures relative to state accred
itation standards and to make
necessary recommendations
to certification manager Naise
Gordon to expedite the pro
cess. Parts of the accreditation
include policies, procedures,
use of equipment, training, use
of force and the discussion of
improvement needs.
Blanchard explained that ac
creditation is a means by which
an agency improves its overall
performances, including ev
erything from officer training
to record keeping. Not only
does it represent a significant
professional achievement,
according to the GACP, but
certification comes with a
number of benefits, includ
ing confirmation that agency
practices are consistent with
progressive professional stan
dards, greater operational and
administrative effectiveness,
enhanced understanding of
agency policies and practices,
greater public confidence in the
agency, recognition in the held
of outstanding achievement,
reduced liability potential and
greater governmental and com
munity support.
Upon review by himself and
Gordon, Blanchard said there
is a good deal of work to be
done on accreditation efforts,
but by “working diligently in
cooperation with many others
from within the agency, we
should be ready for inspection
within a month.”
“Every member of the Public
Safety Committee is commit
ted to ensuring we re-gain
our accreditation promptly to
become a premier agency,”
Waynesboro Mayor Greg Car-
swell said, adding “with ev
erything going on in policing
across America, we wanted an
outside expert with a proven
track record to review every
thing on our behalf and make
any needed recommendations
Blanchard said he was hon
ored when asked to provide
these services and that he has
been assisting some other
agencies with grants and policy
needs.
“The vast majority of offi
cers care deeply about the com
munities they serve. Policies,
procedures and other guide
lines can’t simply come from
those sitting behind desks as
policing the streets of America
are drastically different from
what it was even just a few
years ago,” he said. “Meeting
with officers and citizens, re
viewing complaints and body
camera footage, speaking with
business owners and others
is an essential part of the ac
creditation and improvement
process. It is great working
with the mayor, city council
members and Chief Burley
because they are seeking to
ensure that the Waynesboro
Police Department becomes
one of the best agencies in the
state and serves citizens with
honor and pride.”
BURKE COUNTY JAIL BOOKINGS
APRIL 19-25
Ulysses
Jordan, 29
Dyer St., Augusta
BCSO, April 21
Failure to appear-
misdemeanor
James Howard
Oglesby, 42
Shadrack St.,
Waynesboro
WPD, April 20
Battery-family vio
lence (1st offense)-
misdemeanor
Diontae Devon
Roberson, 30
Sharondate Road,
Savannah
BCSO, April 22
Probation violation
for fingerprintabie
charge-felony
Carly Mary Angela
Cremonese, 39
Bioedet Reserve
Way Martinez
GSP-Sylvania,
April 23
DU/-driving under the
influence (drugs)
William Michael
Saxon, 35
Ga Hwy 56 North,
Waynesboro
BCSO, April 23
Trafficking in
methamphetamine;
parole violation
(possession of a
firearm by a con
victed felon)
Saunderdeanor
Tereshkova
Hogues, 45
Hale St.,
Waynesboro
WPD, April 19
Theft by taking-mis-
demeanor; obstruc
tion of taw enforce
ment officers-misde-
meanor; terroristic
threats and acts (2
counts)
Timothy Albert
Crystal Renae
Williams, 18
Wagner, 41
Savannah Ave.,
Forest Road,
Waynesboro
Hephzibah
WPD, April 20
BCSO, April 23
Theft by receiving
Trafficking in
stolen property-
methamphetamine;
felony
possession of a
schedule IV con
trolled substance
with the intent to
distribute-aiprazoi-
am; safekeeping
for GA. DCS office
(Augusta)
AGENCIES
BCSO: Burke County Sheriff’s Office;
WPD: Waynesboro Police Department;
GSP: Georgia State Patrol;
MPD: Midville Police Department;
SPD: Sardis Police Department;
DOC: Department of Corrections
DNR: Department of Natural Resources
DISCLAIMER NOTICE: ALL ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN
A COURT OF LAW
1022 N. Liberty St v Waynesboro - 706-551-0876
Leo
recreation department where
I would play with him for a
little bit to help get some of
his energy out. We would
then go on proactive patrols
throughout the county and
usually before the end of shift
I would spend about an hour
training, meaning laying out
drugs for him to find or my
partners would go hide, and
we would try to find them
together.”
Leo also had restrictions
most dogs don’t deal with.
When he was working, he
couldn’t have table scraps
because while searching a
car, Swint didn’t want him
to get distracted by food that
may be lying around. He also
couldn’t keep his favorite toy
all the time since it was used
as a reward for working. Leo
stayed outside in a kennel to
help accommodate working
in different temperatures,
especially 95 degree heat.
“If he got used to 68 degree
temperatures inside, he would
not perform as well.”
Now that he’s retired, Leo is
living it up. He has transitioned
into an inside dog, where Swint
says he has plenty of toys and
access to 3-year-old twins
who play and interact with
him. “Probably the thing he
enjoys best is he gets to now
eat table scraps,” Swint laughs.
“I still take him to parks. I
will walk my own track and
have him find a toy at the end
of the track, and we still do a
lot of obedient work, but that
is just to help keep his mind
Continued from front
stimulated. He is getting to be
a lot more laid back.”
He’ll never be “just a dog”
though, not in the community’s
eye nor Swint’s.
He always wants to play
fetch, 75-90K steps per day
canine also “speaks” German
and prefers his toys over treats.
He’s also saved lives; one in
particular Swint recalls fondly.
“Linding drugs and guns
was always great, but the most
excitement and my biggest
reward was when we tracked
criminals or people lost in the
woods and such,” he says. “A
few years back, Leo tracked a
man who was missing for two
days and found him face down
in the woods. There is no doubt
if Leo did not track him he
would have died.”
“Leo is special to me
because we were literally
together all day, everyday,”
Swint continues. “Our lives
depended on each other and the
trust we had. There have been
several occasions I've been
by myself, got a documented
gang member who is also a
convicted felon with a gun. I
asked why didn't they run or
fight and have had several say,
‘We heard the dog barking in
the car.’ Leo was not only a tool
to find drugs and bad guys, but
he was also a deterrent when
a criminal wanted to fight or
run. He was a tool, yes, a piece
of equipment provided by the
sheriffs office which helped
me serve the community better
and was my guardian at work,
but he is also my best friend.”
DID YOU KNOW?
The Georgia Police K9 Loundation helps take care of their
retired, furry partners. Not only did the foundation provide
bulletproof vests and training equipment for Burke County
K9s, they will also help with Leo's food and medical for the
rest of his life now that he is retired. To help this organization,
check out Lox + Hound and pick up one of their K9 Leo
candles. Each candle purchased will send money to the
foundation for them to continue helping doggos. Use coupon
code GPK9L for 15 percent off.
Link to shop: https://shopfoxandhound.com/products/k9-
leo-cilantro-dark-coconut-odor-eliminator-soy-candle
LEO THE TRACKER
During his four years of service, Leo built up quite an
impressive resume.
Cars seized: 10
Money seized: $56,305
Marijuana: 10,545 grams (23 pounds)
Cocaine: 926 grams (2 pounds)
Methamphetamine: 5,130 grams (11 pounds)
Ecstacy pills: 200
Guns seized: 46
Successful tracks (suspects and missing persons): 16
20-plus community events reaching more than 500 students
and citizens