Serious Injury Traffic Collision

On Monday, April 30, 2012 at 4:59 P.M. officers of the Warner Robins Police Department responded to the intersection of Green Street and Northside Drive in reference to a traffic collision with injuries.

Preliminary investigation revealed a 1990 Toyota Corolla was attempting to turn left onto Northside Drive when a 2001 Ford Focus was traveling west on Green Street.  The two vehicles collided in the intersection

The driver of the Toyota Corolla was taken to the Medical Center of Central Georgia.  The driver of the Ford Focus was taken to the Houston Medical Center. 

Conditions of both drivers are currently unavailable. 

This collision is being investigated by the Warner Robins Police Department Traffic Division.  Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the Traffic Division at 478.929.1170. 

It's Here!

The WRPD now has a Facebook! 

Many in the community have asked that we create a Facebook account after the launch of our Twitter account in April. 

Be sure to "Like" our page and share it with your friends.  The more people we have connecting with our agency the better informed the community can be.

Robbery at 912 Russell Parkway

On Friday, April 27, 2012 at 11:29 A.M. officers of the Warner Robins Police Department responded to 912 Russell Parkway, Unique Gifts and Games, in reference to a Robbery.

Preliminary investigation revealed a male came inside the business and robbed the clerk at gunpoint of an undisclosed amount of money and fled the scene on foot. 

The suspect is described as a short black male wearing all dark clothing.  

More information will be released as it becomes available. 

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 478.929.6911.  Information can also be submitted through TipSubmit by texting the tip to CRIMES (274637) and include keyword WRPD in the body of the text. More information about TipSubmit can be found at WRPolice.org.

30th Annual W.R. Independence Day Concert

The 30th Annual Warner Robins Independence Day Concert will be held on Monday, July 2nd.  This year the event will feature country music singer Josh Turner, singer Angie Johnson, and the Band of the United States Air Force Reserve.

The Warner Robins Police Department will be providing site security and traffic management for the event.  More information about road closures and parking information will be released as the event gets closer.

Just a heads up - prohibited items for the event include : alcoholic beverages, glass containers, pets, weapons of any kind, fireworks, bicycle, and any skateboard type mode of transportation.

Guppie For A Day

PIO Tabitha Pugh

Public Information Officer (PIO) Tabitha Pugh was asked to participate in the 2nd annual celebrity wheelchair football game at Warner Robins High School on April 23rd. 

Local celebrities played against the Houston County Sharks' junior varsity wheelchair football team.  The celebrities were known as the Guppies.  Some of the team members included Board of Education member Tom Walmer, Superintendent Dr. Robin Hines, Southside Baptist Pastor Dr. Jerry Walls, City of Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen, Perry Chamber CEO Stacy Campbell, and high school and middle school athletic directors and coaches. 

The adapted sports program was created in 2008 to offer students who have physical disabilities the chance to play sports in wheelchairs. 

The Sharks easily won the game but the Guppies had a lot of fun. 

To learn more about the program visit www.adaptedsports.org.

View the original news release from the Houston County Board of Education.

Go Sharks!

2011 Officer of the Year

Detective Wright

Detective Mark Wright of the Warner Robins Police Department Criminal Investigations Division has been named the 2011 Officer of the Year.

Detective Wright is a 19-year veteran in the department and a 10- year veteran in Criminal Investigations.  Mark has served in several divisions in the agency and is an asset in preparing the younger generation of detectives.

He lead two of the five Homicide investigations in 2011.  He demonstrated experience, leadership, and patience during his investigations and arrested each individual involved.  His skills were challenged in each investigation but he exceeded in every aspect and prepared the cases for prosecution.

Detective Wright has been an example of an outstanding employee and friend to many in the department for 19-years.  He is truly deserving to be named Officer of the Year.

Congratulations!

Patrol Division

The Patrol Division is the backbone of the Warner Robins Police department.  The division is divided into four 12-hour shifts, two day and two night watches.  

Responsibilities of Patrol include answering calls for service, directed patrol, and traffic enforcement.  

Officer Smith on patrol

In 2011 officers in Patrol answered 49,014 calls for service through the Houston County E-911 Center with 19,081 reports written.  The agency had approximately 61 patrol officers on the street in 2011.

2011 Statistics
Self-Initiated Calls : 26,035
Traffic Stops : 10,765
Business Alarms : 4,131
Domestics : 4,035
Information Calls : 2,555
Residential Alarms : 2,5000
Suspicious Activity : 5,825
Traffic Accidents (No injuries) : 3,620
Field Contacts : 2,494

Eggs & Issues

Chief Evans, Major Wagner, & PIO Tabitha Pugh attended the Robins Regional Chamber Eggs & Issues breakfast this morning.  The event featured Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen, Centerville Mayor John Harley, and Perry Mayor Jimmy Faircloth.  Each speaker presented the goals and accomplishments of each city. 

Mayor Shaheen touched on many current projects including the continuing construction of the new Warner Robins Law Enforcement Center. 

The event was sponsored by Flint Energies. 

Officers Apprehend Burglary Suspect

On Sunday, April 15, 2012 at 7:07 A.M. officers of the Warner Robins Police Department responded to the 1040 Booth Road, Clean Control, in reference to a business alarm. 

Preliminary investigation revealed the business had been forcibly entered and burglarized.  Surveillance video showed a white male wearing a black shirt with a white design and dark pants entered the business and took several miscellaneous items.  He was also recorded entering the business again several hours later. 

A short time later officers observed a male, David Rogers (43 years of age, Warner Robins), walking along Foy Evans Drive matching the description of the subject that had entered the business.  He was then transported to the Warner Robins Police Department for questioning by the Criminal Investigations Division. 

Rogers was charged with two counts of Burglary in connection with this incident.  He is currently in the Houston County Jail. 

Anonymous Tip Helps Locate Stolen Car

Last Friday an anonymous person submitted a tip through TipSubmit stating there was suspicious activity at the apartments at 100 Robins West Parkway.  It referenced a gold Jeep and four males that were acting suspicious around the complex.

Officers were immediately sent to the area and found the vehicle.  A continuing investigation revealed the car was stolen out of Florida.  The car was towed and the victim was notified.

The males could not be located in the complex.  No arrests were made.

TipSubmit allows a person to remain anonymous by securely submitting crime information to the Warner Robins Police Department.


The program was successful earlier this year.  An anonymous person submitted a tip regarding suspicious activity around her neighborhood.  Officers were able to locate the car and make an arrest regarding a Felony Violation of Parole warrant and possession of marijuana. 


The program offers three different ways to communicate with law enforcement -

1. Through standard mobile texting by typing 274637(CRIMES) in the "send to" field number and then type WRPD and the tip into the body of the text message



2. Access the TipSoft Web Form



3. Download the free mobile iPhone or Andriod app that allows users to submit photographs with the tip

Cat Rescue

Cat Rescue, a set on Flickr.

Yes, It's True...We Do Help Save Cats From Trees

Everyday officers handle everything from traffic accidents to calls about shots fired.  It isn't every day, however, where they have to spend several days trying to get a cat down from a tree.  Members of the Warner Robins Animal Control Division did just that.

Animal Control received a call about a cat in a 50 foot tree at the 100-block of Oakdale Drive.  The callers said the cat had been in the tree for several days.  

When the tree proved to be too high for the officers and the Warner Robins Fire Department to climb - Allen's Tree Service was called to assist.  They were able to use their big bucket truck to reach the cat.  Their crew was professional and generous with their time and resources. 

Special thanks to Allen's Tree Service for their time and effort. 

Citizen Police Academy - Criminal Investigations

Lieutenant McSwain of the Warner Robins Police Department Criminal Investigations Division (CID) came by the Citizens Police Academy to talk about the different aspects of the division.

Currently the Criminal Investigations Division has ten detectives which include three supervisors.

CID is responsible for investigating any unsolved criminal actions.  Detectives utilize both traditional investigation methods and the latest technology to solve crimes.

There are approximately one hundred active cases being worked by detectives on any given day.

2011 Statistics
Assigned Cases - 572
Cleared Cases - 494
Clearance Rate - 86%
Arrests:  359

Multiple Drug Warrants Executed

On Tuesday, April 10, 2012 members of the Warner Robins Police Department, Houston County Sheriff’s Office, and Byron Police Department executed seven drug related search warrants. The warrants were the result of joint investigation lasting several months. The Bibb County Sherriff’s Office assisted with one warrant located in Bibb County.

Locations included: 2000-blk Airport Road in Macon, 200-blk Hilton Court in Warner Robins, 200-blk Castlebury Court in Kathleen, 100-blk Billington Court in Bonaire, 100-blk Prado Court in Warner Robins, 100-blk Bonanza Drive in Bonaire, & 200-blk Atrium Court in Warner Robins.

Arrests:Michael Hammond (34 years of age) of Warner Robins, Kenneth ONeal (43 years of age) of Warner Robins, Cassandra Hearn (40 years of age) of Macon, Laura Hill (34 years of age) of Warner Robins, Trevor Jefferson (21 years of age) of Warner Robins, Larry Dover (40 years of age) of Kathleen, Kelsey Kitchens (19 years of age) of Bonaire , and Zachary Kitchens (20 years of age) of Bonaire, were all charged with Conspiracy or Attempt to Violate the Georgia Controlled Substance law. More arrests are expected.

Numerous items were seized including an undisclosed amount of cash and marijuana. Several vehicles, firearms, and miscellaneous items were also seized.

This investigation was a cooperative inquiry between the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and the Warner Robins Police Department with the goal of making our community a safer place to live and work. Anyone with information can contact the Houston County Sheriff’s Office or the Warner Robins Police Department.

An Unusual Escort

If you were on Watson Boulevard around 10:00 A.M. this morning you might have seen an unusual sight.  A couple of our officers escorted a big piece of the old Kroger building down Watson Boulevard headed toward a business on Highway 247.

Thankfully the escort went quickly and did not affect traffic. 

Follow Us @WarnerRobinsPD

The Warner Robins Police Department now has a Twitter account!  Follow us @WarnerRobinsPD for the latest traffic advisories, news, and  information about significant crime incidents.

Be sure to tell you friends!

TipSubmit

Warner Robins citizens can now send text and web tips to the Warner Robins Police Department through TipSubmit.

The Warner Robins Police Department and CrimeReports.com have joined together to provide this service which allows citizens to send anonymous tips by sending a text message from a mobile phone, through a mobile application or online.

Using TipSubmit, information can be received anonymously and securely replied to without giving away the identity of the tipster. The service was built specifically to allow text messaging informants to remain anonymous by encrypting phone information and Internet Protocol (IP) addresses by routing them through several secure servers.

The Warner Robins Police Department encourages everyone to report information about any non-urgent, illegal criminal activity. Examples would include information on unsolved cases, vandalism, theft, the sale and distribution of drugs or information about crimes that are being planned in the community and/or schools.

See Frequently Asked Questions

 
 The program offers three different ways to communicate with law enforcement -

1. Through standard mobile texting by typing 274637(CRIMES) in the "send to" field number and then type WRPD and the tip into the body of the text message



2. Access the TipSoft Web Form



3. Download the free mobile iPhone or Andriod app that allows users to submit photographs with the tip

Please share this post on Facebook or Twitter to get the word out about TipSubmit!

Citizens Police Academy - Traffic Division

The Spring Citizens Police Academy is in its sixth week.  Officer Pippio of the Warner Robins Police Department Traffic Division stopped by to demonstrate the many aspects of a traffic officer.

Participants were able to view the division's BMW motorcycle and the many features that make it unique in law enforcement.  They were also able to get hands on and clock Officer Pippio's speed on the motorcycle.

Clarifications about many of the traffic laws such as aggressive driving, speeding, and the move over law were also explained.

The Citizens Police Academy is a twelve week class dedicated to educate citizens about the many aspects of the Warner Robins Police Department.  The Academy is held twice a year and covers a wide variety of topics.

Class dates are posted on this blog and at WRPolice.org.

Firing Range Open To the Public

The firing range is open to the public every third Saturday of each month.  The range is located at 212 Stalnaker Avenue in Warner Robins.

Hours of Operation
8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Required:
$5.00 fee for each shooter (for targets &maintenance).
Must bring eye and ear protection
Reservations are not required

For more information contact the Training Center at 478-929-7252 or email Officer Lowry.

Attempting Kidnapping Arrest

On Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 2:07 P.M. officers of the Warner Robins Police Department responded to 1806 Russell Parkway (Master Cleaners) in reference to a male with a handgun. 

Preliminary investigation reveals a white male approached a female employee, threatened her with a handgun, and fled the scene in a vehicle.  The vehicle is described as a dark colored SUV.   

No injuries were reported. 

No other information is available at this time.  More information will be released as it becomes available. 

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 478.929.6911.  Information can also be submitted through TipSubmit by texting the tip to CRIMES (274637) and include keyword WRPD in the body of the text. More information about TipSubmit can be found at WRPolice.org.

Update – April 3, 2012

William Carpenter (27 years of age, Macon) was arrested in connection with the incident above.  He was charged with Criminal Attempt-Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault, & Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime.  He was transported to the Houston County Jail. 

Further investigation revealed Carpenter approached the employee and repeatedly demanded her to get in his car.  She refused and he left the scene in a dark colored Toyota 4 Runner.  Carpenter also pointed a gun at her during the incident.

Anyone who has information about Carpenter or this incident is asked to contact the Warner Robins Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 478-929-6911.  

Welcome New Officers!

Officer Pergerson, Lynch, Mullins, & Mogran

The Warner Robins Police Department added four new officers to the team.  The officers completed an 11 week basic mandate course and graduated on March 30th.

Officer Pergerson was awarded second place in academics.  Officers Pergerson, Mullins, & Morgan were awarded honor roll in their class. 

They will now complete several phases of the Field Training Program where they will  be paired with a veteran officer for evaluation.  The officers must successfully complete each phase before being considered to patrol alone.

They were officially sworn in by Warner Robins Mayor Chuck Shaheen at the April 2, 2012 council meeting.

Welcome to the team!

Cold Case Solved, Others Remain

On December 23, 1995, Carol Johnson was found deceased in her home.  She appeared to have been stabbed to death.

 Twelve years later, through the technology of forensics, investigators were able to determine the DNA from blood collected at the crime scene belonged to Ronald William Free.  A subsequent comparison of fingerprints determined Free's fingerprint was also found inside the crime scene.  He was charged with Mrs. Johnson's death. 

The case began receiving more scrutiny in 2011 when investigators began preparing the case for trial.  They were able to combine the physical and forensic evidence that led to the indictment and Free's sentencing.

Ronald Free plead guilty to the charge of Murder and Burglary on March 30, 2012.  He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Lieutenant McSwain of the Warner Robins Police Department Criminal Investigations Division was the lead investigator in the case.  Investigators with the Warner Robins Police Department Criminalistics Division played an instrumental role in the investigation.  Captain Lanneau of the Criminalistics Division identified Free's fingerprint through the comparison process. 

See Houston County District Attorney's Media Release.

The last cold case to be solved involved the 1988 Valerie Coates missing persons case.  Detective Stokes was assigned the case in 2007.  Through interviews and numerous lead follow ups it was determined Ms. Coates was murdered and buried in another county.  The case was turned over to the Pulaski County authorities in 2010. 

The Warner Robins Police Department currently has 10 cold cases.  Nine of the cases are homicide incidents.  One is considered a missing person incident.

Review summaries and contact information for each cold case. 

Citizen information is vital to help solve each of these cases.  Anyone with additional information about any of these cases can use the contact information listed on the website.  If you wish to remain anonymous - use TipSubmit.  This program allows citizens to send anonymous tips by sending information through text message, mobile application, or through the web form.

Aggravated Assault

On Saturday, March 31, 2012 at 1:40 A.M. officers of the Warner Robins Police Department responded to the 300-block of Camellia Circle in reference to a person with a gunshot wound.

Preliminary investigation revealed Tyberius Culler (36 years of age, Warner Robins) was shot by an unknown person while inside a residence on Angela Avenue.  Culler was transported to the Medical Center of Central Georgia where he is listed in stable condition. 

No other information is available at this time.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 478.929.6911.  Information can also be submitted through TipSubmit by texting the tip to CRIMES (274637) and include keyword WRPD in the body of the text. More information about TipSubmit can be found at WRPolice.org.

Physical Agility Test

Last Friday marked the March Physical Agility Test/Entry Level Assessment Exam administered by the Warner Robins Police Department.

13 applicants came out to the Warner Robins Police Department Training Center to take the test.  13 passed the physical test.   4 of the 13 passed the written assessment and will continue on in the hiring process.

Each month applicants who want to become a Warner Robins Police Officer must complete and pass the Physical Agility Test/Written Assessment Test.  It is the second step in the hiring process.  This is a timed test containing a series of practical movements and challenges that a police officer would experience during the performance of their duties.  Applicants must successfully complete this pass/fail test in 56 seconds or less.

After the successful completion of the physical test - applicants are required to take a timed written exam that tests basic skills of reading and writing, and measures a variety of other skills to include judgement, problem solving, motivation, interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Applicants who successfully complete the physical and written examinations will be eligible to continue to the next step in the hiring process.

Learn more about the hiring process to become a Warner Robins Police Department Officer.

Recruitment Frequently Asked Questions