Henry County Update - Newsletter

June 19, 2015

BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

HCPD K-9 Dog Retires After Six Years of Service

Regular Meetings July 7th at 9:00 AM July 21st at 6:30 PM Meetings held at: Administration Building Community Room 140 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253 Regular Commission meetings will air Fridays, Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays on Henry TV Channel 180 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99, at 9 a.m. & 7 p.m.

K-9 Officer Stephen Torbush with his recently retired canine partner, Pipo.

At the June 16, 2015 Commission meeting the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a request by the Henry County Police Department for the retirement from service of a male Belgian Malinois dog, named Pipo.

During his six years of service, the nine-year old canine was responsible for seizing more than $5 million in narcotics and currency for the HCPD, and was instrumental in the apprehension of hundreds of criminals.

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June 19, 2015 Judge Brian Amero Welcomes Special Visitor

Superior Court Judge Brian Amero welcomed a special guest to his courtroom last week.

Assistant Judge Tatsuo Okuda, from the Otsu District Court of Japan, has been in the United States for the past year studying aspects of the United States’ judicial system, and Judge Amero invited him to observe Henry County Superior Court proceedings.

While visiting Judge Amero’s courtroom, he had an

opportunity for one-on-one time with Judge Amero, to ask specific questions about Henry County’s Drug Court, which Amero oversees.

Judge Otsu has spent most of his time in the U.S. observing the proceedings at Fulton County Superior Court and taking law classes at Georgia State University. He will be returning to his home country next month.

Henry County Superior Court Judge Brian Amero welcomed Judge Tatsuo Okuda from Japan, who has been observing U.S. courtrooms for the past year.

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Retired K-9 from page 1

During the meeting, District IV Commissioner Blake Prince expressed his appreciation to the K-9 unit of the police department and read a letter of appreciation to the K-9 Unit and their contributions in keeping Henry County safe.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Henry County Police Department’s K-9 Unit for the outstanding job they do each and every day for the citizens of Henry County,” read Prince. “The value of a quality K-9 Unit often goes unnoticed, so I want

to express my sincerest appreciation to the Henry County Police Department, its leaders and the Special Operations Division K-9 Unit for their outstanding police work in keeping Henry County safe.”

In his retirement, Pipo will be leased to his handler, Officer Stephen Torbush, for a nominal sum of $1 a year for a term of ten years.

For more information on the Henry County Police Department and the Special Operations Division K-9 Unit visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.

Members of the HCPD K-9 Unit were recognized by the Henry County Board of Commissioners for outstanding police work.

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June 19, 2015 Retired Public Safety to Retain Helmets and Firearms

At the June 16, 2015 Commission meeting the Henry County Board of Commissioners authorized the Henry County Fire Department, Police Department, and Sheriff’s Department to present retired firefighters, police officers and deputy sheriffs with their badge and on-duty fire helmet or issued handgun.

The items are bestowed upon public safety employees in good standing who have served at least 20 years with Henry County. In order to receive this

recognition, the retiring individual must file a written request to be named an Honorary Reserve Firefighter/ Police Officer or Deputy Sheriff. They will then be presented with a Henry County identification card identifying them as “Retired” as well as their respective on-duty equipment and badge at no expense to them.

For more information on the Henry County Fire Department or the Henry County Police Department visit www.henrycounty-ga.org.

Henry County to be Represented at Special Olympics World Summer Games

Equestrian athlete Jennifer Maddox and kayak coach Davina Ford will join Team USA for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, to be held in Los Angeles, California from July 25 to August 2.

They are two of a 481 member delegation that Special Olympics USA compiled from all 50 states.

Maddox joined the Henry County Special Olympics in 2003 as a softball and basketball athlete and later joined County equestrian competitions in 2010 at the Calvin Center in Hampton. She has competed in several state competitions over the last seven years and recently received a bronze medal in doubles tennis and a silver medal in singles tennis for her performance

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in the state summer games. She is the only Equestrian Division athlete from Georgia competing at the World Summer Games.

Ford has been a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for Henry County Parks and Recreation since 2007. She will be helping coach Special Olympic athletes in the Kayaking Division at the World Summer Games.

For more information on Henry County’s Therapeutic Recreation Program contact Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator Terry Nash at 770-288-7290.

For more information on Special Olympics, please visit www.specialolympics.org.

Beat the Heat with Tips from Henry County EMA and Ready Georgia

Summer in Georgia is a time for camping trips, cookouts and afternoons by the pool. However, it’s also a time to be aware of the dangers soaring temperatures can bring. Extreme heat is the No. 2 weather-related killer in the U.S. after excessive cold, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Henry County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) urges Henry County residents to take steps now to beat the heat.

“People most at risk for heat-related illness are seniors, infants and people with circulation problems, but staying indoors and drinking plenty of water will help you stay cool and hydrated when temperatures rise,” said Henry County EMA Director Don Ash.

Henry County and Ready Georgia give these 10 tips to ensure a safe summer for every family: 1. Never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.

2. Fluids are lost through perspiration, so it’s important to stay well hydrated. Drink plenty of water, even when you’re not thirsty.

3. Stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible and limit exposure to the sun.

4. Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible.

5. Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day. Drink two to four cups of water every hour when you are working outside.

6. Check on elderly neighbors and family and friends who do not have air conditioning.

7. Make sure pets have plenty of water and shade, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.

8. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion symptoms are heavy sweating, fatigue, muscle cramps, confusion, cold, pale and clammy skin, a weak rapid pulse, and possible fainting and vomiting. Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency that occurs when the body temperature reaches 106° F. or higher. Symptoms include hot dry skin, rapid and strong pulse, and possible unconsciousness. Summon immediate emergency medical assistance.

9. Insulate your home by installing weather stripping around your doors and windowsills to keep the cool air inside.

10. Closely monitor a local radio station, TV station or NOAA Weather Radio or download the Ready Georgia app for the latest information on excessive heat watches and warnings.

To help Georgians prepare, Ready Georgia, a statewide emergency preparedness campaign created by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency/ Homeland Security, offers the tools needed to make an emergency supply kit, develop a communications plan and stay informed about potential threats. Visitors to Ready Georgia’s website can create an online profile to receive a tailored plan for the entire family that includes the specific amount of supplies to put in their household Ready kits. In addition, the newly upgraded free Ready Georgia mobile app provides weather alerts, traffic updates and preparedness information for people on the go.

For more information, contact Henry County EMA at 770-288-7870 or visit www.ready.ga.gov.

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June 19, 2015 Georgia DOT Launches Yearlong Campaign to Reduce Roadway Fatalities

Transportation and law enforcement officials across Georgia last month kicked off DriveAlert ArriveAlive, a year-long multi-agency campaign to call attention to an alarming 25 percent increase in roadway fatalities in the first quarter of 2015 and how changes in driver behavior can help to decrease these numbers. DriveAlert ArriveAlive, implores motorists to help turn the tide on these increasing crashes and fatalities. Drivers are asked to focus on driving, to not drive impaired and to wear a seatbelt to reduce the chance of serious injury or death if there is a crash.

“Compared to the first quarter of last year, fatalities are up significantly in just the first three months of 2015. If we continue at this rate, we could see the first increase in traffic fatalities in Georgia in nine years,” said Georgia DOT Commissioner Russell McMurry. “That’s just unacceptable – especially when many of these crashes can be prevented by changing driver behavior.”

DriveAlert ArriveAlive asks drivers to drive responsibility by following three steps every time they get behind the wheel.

1. Buckle up … It’s the law. Seat belts reduce the risk of fatality in a crash by about 45 percent and serious injury by about 50 percent.

2. Stay off the phone and mobile devices … If possible, shut off the phone to avoid temptation [even handsfree is a distraction]. No texting [Georgia law bans texting and driving]. Just drive.

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3. Drive alert … Do not drive drowsy or impaired.

“It’s startling when you consider that 60 percent of traffic fatalities in Georgia so far this year are the result of a single vehicle crash,” said Harris Blackwood, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety. “We are looking at driver behavior as a primary cause – specifically distracted driving.”

Georgia DOT has worked for years to avoid roadway departures, to increase occupant protection, and to reduce distracted driving with a goal towards zero deaths. Measures like safety edge, rumble strips, center median cable barriers, high friction surface treatments, reflective signage and striping, and pedestrian countdown timers have all contributed to nine consecutive years of decreased roadway fatalities in Georgia. The goal of DriveAlert ArriveAlive is to continue the downward trend.

DriveAlert ArriveAlive, a partnership between the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) and the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS), educates drivers about specific changes they can make in their driving behavior to save lives.

For more information about Georgia DOT, please visit www.dot.ga.gov or subscribe to our Press Release RSS feed. You may also follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/GeorgiaDOT) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/gadeptoftrans).

Police Training and Continuing Education or “P-TACE” Grant Application Open for Public Comment

The Henry County Police Department (HCPD) is applying for a federal grant of $24,662.00 under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Formula Program: Local Solicitation, CFDA 16.738, to support the project entitled “Police Training and Continuing Education” or “P-TACE.” The Henry County Police Department seeks to maximize the effectiveness of JAG funding at the local level by providing specialized training and succession planning for the Uniform Patrol and Criminal Investigations Divisions within the Police Department. If awarded, budgeted training, travel and support expenses will be 100 percent federally funded and incur no additional expenses charged to the taxpayers.

The Henry County Police Uniform Patrol (UPD) and Criminal Investigations (CID) Divisions fulfill policing duties ranging from Neighborhood Patrol to Traffic Enforcement to Fatality Investigations and White Collar and Property Crimes to Homicides, to a

Special Victims Unit for Violence Against Women. The duties are varied and concentrated training is essential.

Officers learn the foundations for a number of UPD and CID duties while in basic mandate, and later with the HCPD Field Training Officer Program, annual 20-hour in-house refresher courses and additional training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) in Forsyth. GPSTC serves the entire state so our officers are often placed on a waiting list for specialty classes with restricted course selection and student limits.

Additionally, these classes are only taught sporadically.

This grant will allow us to meet our local need immediately. Of course, on-the-job training is vital, and many successful senior officers and detectives will tell you that they learned their craft “at the school of hard knocks.” But even with the county dollars committed to these types of training, the advanced or specialized training and supervision succession planning for retiring commanders’ positions are often the first requests to be cut during budget time.

The P-TACE Project aims to fill the training gaps that become more apparent as HCPD matures, and tenured officers who are nearing retirement are taking their knowledge and skills with them when they go. There is a wealth of wisdom that these veterans can pass on to their up-and-coming replacements, but very often in today’s policing world, specialized training requires certifications or standardized testing, or at the very least, recent continuing education in the subject in order to maintain Police Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.)- Certified Instructor status. Although our inhouse Training Unit is second to none, it is helpful for our officers to also receive outside training to ensure that they are up-to-date on national and regional best practices.

The P-TACE Project grant will request funds to Continued on page 9

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June 19, 2015 Henry County Gladiators Win Volleyball Championship

The Henry County Gladiators Special Olympic Unified Volleyball team recently took their game on the road to compete in the 2015 USA Volleyball Open National Championship, held in Detroit, Michigan.

The tournament was held from May 21-25, 2015 and attracted teams from across the country, including Wisconsin, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina,

Michigan and Tennessee. After winning all of their 16, they took home the 2015 Championship title. This is the second National Championship the team has won in the past two years.

Once again, these athletes and partners have shown that practice and team work pays off.

Congratulations to the Henry County Gladiators.

Members of the Henry County Gladiators championship volleyball team

The Henry County Police Department is now using YouTube! The purpose is to work in partnership with our citizens in solving and reducing crime.

www.youtube.com/user/HenryCountyPoliceDpt

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Training from page 7 support Kinesics Interviews and Interrogations for 25 HCPD officers and detectives, as well as a Kinesics Statement Analysis class. Kinesics is the interpretation of body motion (nonverbal) communication such as facial expressions and gestures related to movement of any part of the body or the body as a whole and is used to help determine deception by persons during an investigation based on physical and written responses.

The P-TACE Project will also request funding for three mid-level supervisors to attend training on How to Manage the Detective Unit. Rounding out the budgeted requests are two classes, each for 25 officers and detectives (total of 50 personnel) on Criminal Investigations for Patrol and new Investigators, and Burglary/Robbery Investigations for UPD and new CID.

Depending on cost and availability, the remaining funds will be used for Civil Liability and Tort Class, Death Investigations, Sex-related Homicides, or

Supervision, Leadership and Officer Discipline.

Submission deadline for this grant application is June 26, 2015. A public comment period, as required in the official solicitation, allows citizens to inquire about the proposed program and to voice comments or suggestions. The Henry County Police Department’s grant administrator, Kimberly Monast, is available for questions or comments at 770-288-8133 or at kmonast@co.henry.ga.us.

After June 25, a copy of the application can be viewed in-house by scheduling an appointment with Ms. Monast during regular business hours, or by requesting a copy be provided to you via email, postal mail, or direct pick-up. The Henry County Police Department and Henry County Board of Commissioners maintain strict financial stewardship of federal and state grant award dollars and welcome your inquiry.

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June 19, 2015 Henry County Police Department Hosts 2015 Operation Rolling Thunder

On Friday July 17 and Saturday July 18, 2015 the Henry County Police Department will host the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) Thunder Taskforce. The Taskforce is comprised of multiple officers from regional and surrounding counties, Traffic Investigators, DUI/HEAT Officers, Drug Recognition Experts and Officers from HCPD. The GOHS Taskforce’s mission, dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder, is to “detect Georgia’s high-crash corridors and reduce mounting highway deaths and serious injuries by introducing a high visibility law enforcement presence to help stabilize the extreme and illegal driving behaviors of careless motorists who cause those crashes.” Henry County, with its expansive roadway structure is a prime target for Operation Rolling Thunder. This year Henry County has already witnessed 11 motor fatality accidents; five of which showed to involve driving while under the influence (DUI), speeding, or improper safety restraints as well as other violations as the contributing factor.

As a means of reducing fatalities and serious injuries by vehicle, the Taskforce strategy assigns concentrated patrols to state routes, rural roads and interstate highways on alternating schedules for each

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day of this action. Taskforce officers will conduct safety belt and sobriety road checks and speed patrols while collecting enforcement data to document their life-saving progress. Operation Rolling Thunder has a documented history of reducing highway deaths since the highway safety project’s inception in 2007.

In November 2014, Operation Rolling Thunder yielded successful results in Henry County netting 50 arrests and 306 traffic citations. Of those 50 arrests, 13 individuals were arrested for DUI, 11 were arrested for violations of the Ga. Controlled Substances Act, 2 were arrested `for outstanding criminal warrants, and 24 were arrested for other criminal and motor vehicle infractions.

All through the summer season the Henry County Police Department, along with our regional and state law enforcement partners, are taking a proactive approach by targeting driving behaviors that contribute to fatal accidents, accident with injuries, and the property damage that occurs as a result. Operation Rolling Thunder is being coordinated by elements of the HCPD Special Operations Division and is endorsed by the GOHS.

Henry County Police Department Hosts 2015 Operation Rolling Thunder

Henry County PD led the Wings for Warriors benefit ride held last month.

The Henry County Police Department hosted its second annual Wings for Warriors benefit ride on May 30, 2015 raising more than $8,000. The fundraising event is organized each year by the Henry County Police Benevolence Fund, an extension of the nationwide Police Benevolent Association. Each organization aims to financially support struggling police officers and their family members.

A group of 63 motorcyclists and bicyclists participated in the benefit alongside the Henry County

Police Motor Unit which led an hour-long ride starting at the Henry County Police Department Headquarters and ending at Heritage Park in McDonough.

Henry County Police Chaplain Ralph Easterwood, Monitor of the Police Benevolence Fund, accepted the donation on behalf of the organization.

For more information, please contact the Henry County Police Department at 770-288-8200 or visit www.henrycounty-ga.org/police.

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June 19, 2015 Henry County Libraries to Host Annual Summer Reading Program

The Henry County Library System is once again offering its annual Vacation Reading Program and what better way to keep young minds sharp over the lazy days of summer than to sign them up for this popular program. This year’s theme is “Every Hero Has a Story.”

The goal of the summer reading program is to encourage children to read and maintain their skills during summer vacation. Last summer, there were more than 4,000 children and teens registered for the summer program, and over 6,300 who attended programs and activities, reading more than 27,000 books.

Registration for the Vacation Reading Program runs from June 1 through June 30, and the programs and activities start June 1 and continue through July 30. All children and teens living in Henry County are eligible to register and attend programs, and all five Henry County branches will offer activities for children.

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There is no charge for any of these activities.

During the last week of May, a schedule of activities will be distributed in The Henry County Times, and copies will be available in all library branches, as well as on the library website at www.henry.public.lib.ga.us.

In addition to the Vacation Reading Program, this marks the third year for the Library Goes to Camp program, which is a partnership between the Henry County Library System and Henry County Parks and Recreation Department in which library staff visits each day camp weekly. Library staff members conduct a short program and leave a bin of books for campers to enjoy during the week. Each week a new bin of books will be made available for the campers, and the program runs from June 1 until July 30.

This program has been funded by Central Georgia EMC for the third year in a row.

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June 19, 2015

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