SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Authorities say the body discovered Sunday, Feb. 11, in a closed Griffin motel is believed to be that of Timothy Allen Johnson, who was reported missing Dec. 11, 2017. According to a press release issued by Spalding County Sheriff Darrell Dix, an unnamed person who was committing a theft at the […]
Deceased body located in closed Griffin motel
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of a body in a closed motel on North Expressway. According to Griffin Police Department Chief Mike Yates, the body pertains to an open case at the Sheriff’s Office. “I believe a deceased missing person was found there,” Yates said. “This person […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Chief Mike Yates, deceased body, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, missing person, Sheriff Darrell Dix, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
GPD officer involved in wreck
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: An officer of the Griffin Police Department was on Tuesday night involved in a wreck on West Taylor Street. The incident involved Cpl. Dwayne Hancock, and occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on West Taylor Street. “…Hancock was attempting to make a left turn from the exit way of Sonic on to […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Chief Mike Yates, Cpl. Dwayne Hancock, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, spalding county, wreck
Former GHS teacher sentenced to prison for child sex crimes
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Brandy Lynn Nickels, the former Griffin High School teacher charged with numerous sex crimes involving multiple students, has plead guilty in Spalding County Superior Court and been sentenced for her crimes. “She plead guilty to two counts of sexual assault and one count of child molestation. She received a sentence of […]
Armed robbery at First National Bank under investigation
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The Griffin Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting a joint investigation of a bank robbery that occurred Wednesday morning. According to information released by GPD Chief Mike Yates, officers responded to the First National Bank branch located at 1475 W. McIntosh Road at approximately 9:15 a.m. in […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: armed robbery, Chief Mike Yates, crime, Federal Bureau of Investigation, First National Bank, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, search, spalding county, suspect
Domestic violence trial ends with life sentence
STAFF REPORT ::: Royce Robinson was tried and convicted this week on charges related to a domestic violence incident. According to a press release issued by the office of Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Ben Coker, Robinson was convicted of kidnapping with bodily injury, false imprisonment and battery. He was acquitted of aggravated assault and […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: ADA Kate Lenhard, ADA Morgan Kendrick, crime, DA Ben Coker, District Attorney's Office, domestic violence, Griffin, Griffin Judicial Circuit, Griffin Police Department, Investigator Carrie Williams-James, Royce Robinson, spalding county, Spalding County Sheriff's Office
GPD offers holiday safety tips
SUBMITTED ::: The Griffin Police Department will be taking an aggressive stance this holiday season. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, GPD officers will be conducting details along with daily general patrol at busy shopping centers during the times when people can become vulnerable to theft and other holiday crimes. Shoppers can be so easily distracted with […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: crime prevention, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, holiday season, safety, spalding county, tips
Suspect arrested in string of southside Griffin burglaries
STAFF REPORT ::: The Griffin Police Department has arrested the person accused of committing multiple burglaries on the southside of the city of Griffin. According to a press release issued by the GPD, Nickolas Creswell was on Nov. 15, at approximately 10:30 p.m. arrested in Locust Grove by Detective Corporal Cary Jackson and Detective Corporal […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: burglaries, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, hate crime, Nickolas Creswell, spalding county, theft
GPD investigation nets many arrests on prostitution, bath salts, meth, additional drugs, weapons and other charges
STAFF REPORT ::: An extended investigation of the Griffin Police Department’s Criminal Apprehension Gang Enforcement Unit and Special Investigations Unit has resulted in multiple arrests on a variety of charges including participating in criminal gang activity, the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, prostitution and keeping a place of prostitution. In the last month, 50 Gang Act […]
Former GPD officer’s pre-hire tests raised concerns
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: Pre-employment testing records for former GPD Officer Tyler Cooper indicate some portions raised questions regarding whether he should have been hired to police the city of Griffin. As part of the hiring process, the GPD administers an examination called the Personnel Evaluation Profile (PEP), which is commonly referred to as a […]
City of Griffin releases records to The GRIP after seven-month dispute
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: After refusing since Feb. 3 to produce certain personnel records sought in an Open Records request submitted by The GRIP Publisher Sheila Mathews, the city of Griffin on Sept. 1 reversed that long held decision and released the exempted documents. At the crux of the dispute were the pre-employment computer voice […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: City Manager Kenny Smith, city of Griffin, Freedom of information, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, Open Records Act, Police Chief Mike Yates, spalding county, transparency
GPD officer forfeited appeal of disciplinary action
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: After reporting on the Griffin Police Department’s Internal Affairs administrative investigation of Curtis Keys and Dwayne Hancock, which resulted in both officers being demoted one rank, and Keys being the subject of a GBI criminal investigation, The GRIP was alerted that pertinent information had been omitted. The GRIP then notified the […]
GPD: Chief’s IA investigation concludes Keys, Hancock falsified multiple records, violated oath of office
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: A Griffin Police Department Internal Affairs investigation of Curtis Keys and Dwayne Hancock substantiated both officers falsified multiple official records and violated their oath of office pertaining to the agency’s Off Duty/Extra Duty Job Policy. This information was obtained subsequent to an Open Records request submitted to the city of Griffin […]
One wounded and five arrested in Tuesday shooting
STAFF REPORT ::: One man was wounded and five people have been arrested in connection to a Tuesday shooting. According to a press release issued by the Griffin Police Department, officers were dispatched to 1321 Lyndon Ave., at approximately 12:19 a.m. in reference to a report of a person having been shot. Upon arrival, officers […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: aggravated assault, armed robbery, crime, drugs, gangs, Griffin Police Department, shooting, spalding county
Former GPD officer “showed deception” on every question in pre-employment computer voice stress analysis
SHEILA A. MATHEWS ::: The GRIP has learned that Tyler Cooper, a former officer of the Griffin Police Department, indicated deception on every question asked during his preemployment computer voice stress analysis (CVSA) – a form of polygraph examination. Although the city of Griffin has for nearly seven months refused to release Cooper’s CVSA, The […]
Filed Under: Top Stories Tagged With: Chief Mike Yates, Computer Voice Stress Analysis, deception, Griffin, Griffin Police Department, LaGrange Police Department, Open Records Act, polygraph, spalding county, Tyler Cooper
The GRIP 