Four New DPD Officers Sworn In

Tuesday, September 26th, 2023

The Dalton Police Department introduced four new officers Tuesday morning at the monthly meeting of the Dalton Public Safety Commission. Officers Christopher Akins, Timothy Childers, Matthew Grubbs, and Eduardo Mendiola each had their appointments as officers confirmed by unanimous vote of the commission.

Caption: With their right hands raised, new DPD officers (from left to right) Eduardo Mendiola, Timothy Childers, Matthew Grubbs, and Christopher Akins all take their oaths of office while being sworn in by City Attorney Terry Miller (right)

Each of the four officers is from the greater Dalton area. Christopher Akins, 23, is a 2018 graduate of Northwest Whitfield High School and has worked locally at Planet Fitness before joining the police department. Timothy Childers, 21, is also a Bruin having graduated from Northwest Whitfield in 2020. He has previous law enforcement experience, having served as a correctional officer at Walker State Prison in Rock Spring, Georgia before joining the police department. Matthew Grubbs is a 2015 graduate of Coahulla Creek High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Dalton State College in 2021. Before joining the DPD, he worked at Shaw Industries. Eduardo Mendiola also worked for Shaw before joining the DPD, and graduated from Southeast Whitfield in 2016. 

The four new officers completed their police academy training last week and are now taking part in the Dalton Police Department's field training program in which they will ride with veteran mentor officers for six months before they earn solo status as officers. After being confirmed Tuesday morning by the PSC, the officers were sworn in by City Attorney Terry Miller, taking their oaths of office in front of the City Council Chambers before receiving a round of applause.