Wrecks in Dalton increase as more motorists return to local roads

May 7—More wrecks in Dalton in March compared to March 2020 are indicative that more motorists are returning to the city's roads as the COVID-19 pandemic loosens its grip locally, according to Dalton's police chief.

"We were at pretty much full pandemic shutdown in March 2020," Cliff Cason told the members of the city's Public Safety Commission during an April 27 meeting. March's 110 traffic crashes, up from 90 in March 2020, "indicate traffic volumes are up to levels before the pandemic hit so bad."

The number of crashes with injuries, and the number of injuries in crashes, actually decreased in March from the previous month, however, and "that's a good measure for us that we're doing a good job preventing some of those dangerous behaviors" that make crashes worse and increase injuries, Cason said. "The more traffic you have, the more crashes we'll see, (but) we look more at the crashes with injuries."

Rear-end collisions were the most common type of crash in March, with 47, and failure to yield was the leading contributing factor in injury crashes, he said. Following too closely was the leading factor in non-injury crashes.

In March, injuries occurred in 20 crashes, and multiple injuries were reported in four crashes, according to the Dalton Police Department. There were 24 total injuries reported, but no fatalities.

Walnut Avenue had the most total crashes in March, with 17, followed by Chattanooga Road/North Bypass, with 16, and Glenwood Avenue, with 15, according to the department. Crashes on Chattanooga Road/North Bypass accounted for the most injuries, with seven, or 29% of all injuries reported that month.

The most crashes occurred on Mondays and Wednesdays, with 22 and 21, respectively, according to the department. There were 27 crashes between 11 a.m. and 1:59 p.m., 27 more from 2 to 3:59 p.m., and 21 from 4 to 6:59 p.m.

Crime report

Part 1 crimes, which include aggravated assault, arson, homicide and rape, among others, are down 9.5% from the same period last year, while part 2 crimes, which include code violations, controlled substance offenses, disorderly conduct and traffic violations, have increased 12% from the same period last year, but that's mostly due to more drug-related arrests, not more drug activity locally, Cason said. It's "not a concern, (and) I think we're fine."

The department's drug unit and task force remain "fully staffed (and) doing some really good work," he said. "Some months, you tick off a lot of (arrests), but there are other months where you're not to the point of making (arrests)."

"It's a cycle," he said. "We don't have a (mounting drug) problem" in the city.

The 210 part 1 crimes for the first three months of 2021 is the lowest total in at least five years, Cason said. However, motor vehicle thefts are up significantly for the first quarter, with 33, compared to 15 during the first three months of 2020.

"This is not just a Dalton issue, (as) Whitfield County's (motor vehicle thefts) are equally high, (but) most vehicles 'stolen' are loaned and not returned, or the keys were left inside," he said. "Still, it's something we're watching."

Year-to-date calls for service are down nearly 19% from 2020, but "some of that is tied to staffing," he said. "We're 11 officers short right now, (but) we are making efforts to recruit officers."

Officer award

Capt. Shaun Scott received the Innovation in Police Service Award for his efforts to revamp and improve training for new officers.

"We recently realized our training for new officers was deficient in some areas," and Scott "took the lead" on the project, said Chris Crossen, assistant chief of police. "On his own," Scott investigated several computer programs, and the department opted for Agent 360, which "turned out to be phenomenal."

Scott also led in training on the new program for officers, and his work has "increased our ability to deliver more efficient police service to the community and to better train our new police officers," Crossen said. "We're always looking to be better, and (Scott) is an example of that."

Finances

The police department is "on track to finish the year within our budget," Cason said. "We're under budget at this time, but that is tied to vacancies in staffing."