5 Signs Your Neighbor May be a Drug Dealer

"The biggest thing people can do is look out for each other (and) share information with us," says North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder

Community Offers Ways to Make Students, Schools Safer

Suggestions at Tuesday night's town hall meeting included a ramped-up police presence in the schools and lockdown training for teachers and students

North Canton City School officials want to ramp up safety and security in and around the buildings, especially in light of the school shootings in Newtown, CT, that left 27 people dead. But some things on their wish list are going to take some time — and a lot of money. School administration, along with community members and North Canton police and fire officials, met Tuesday night inside Hoover Hall and hashed out what safety upgrades might be possible in the near future, and what will have to wait. The district already has the ball rolling on one security measure — security vestibules that would provide controlled access into the buildings. "As part of the security vestibules that we're building, and the couple security vestibules that …

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TONIGHT: Community, School Officials Meet to Discuss Safety in North Canton Schools

North Canton City School District officials invite the community to attend a town hall-style meeting from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 15

ODOT, North Canton Police Share Winter Driving Tips

City motorists fared well during the first "real" snowstorm of the season Wednesday.

North Canton Police responded to three accidents during the first “real” snowstorm of the season Wednesday, and only one involved slippery road conditions. That must mean city motorists heed the “Ice and Snow, Take it Slow” warning issued annually by the Ohio Department of Transportation. According to ODOT research, most motorists have forgotten their safe winter driving skills by the time the first storm hits. “Because of last year’s mild winter, many of Ohio’s motorists haven’t driven in significant ice and snow in about 20 months,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray. Last winter there were 16,167 weather-related crashes on Ohio’s roadways. Ice- and snow-related fatalities on ODOT-maintained roads decreased by nearly 20 percent — from 21 to …

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5 Signs Your Neighbor May be a Drug Dealer

North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder shared some signs associated with drug dealers. If you were living by one, would you be able to tell?

5 Signs Your Neighbor May be a Drug Dealer

"The biggest thing people can do is look out for each other (and) share information with us," says North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder.

The thing about drug operations is they can be set up anywhere, anytime. And, occasionally, it's not just police officers who work to find the bad guys. It may all boil down to a tip given by an observant resident. Here are some things to watch for regarding suspicious neighborhood drug activity, according to North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder: Wilder said residents with suspicions about a neighbor can do a little online investigative work of their own before calling police by clicking a link on the police department’s website. “With the Criminal Justice Information System – CJIS – people can go in and look for public arrest records for people in their neighborhood,” Wilder explained. The chief said his officers “encourage citizens …

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Police Pinpoint Two Suspects in Theft-From-Mailboxes Case

North Canton police are looking for Edward L. Dugan, 59, and Tonya S. Carpenter, 39, who they believe stole personal checks from mailboxes and cashed the checks

The North Canton Police Department have pinpointed two suspects who they believe stole thousands of dollars from residents by taking and cashing their personal checks from their mailboxes. The department has warrants on file through the Canton Municipal Court for Edward L. Dugan, 59, and Tonya S. Carpenter, 39. The couple's last known address is 1847 Misty Way, Columbus. Both Dugan and Carpenter are charged with two counts of identity fraud, fourth-degree felonies, and four counts of theft, fifth-degree felonies. Police Chief Stephan Wilder told North Canton Patch on Nov. 2 that the suspects targeted mailboxes that had the red flag up (indicating they have outgoing mail), then took any checks from inside the mailbox. The suspects then got …

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LOOK: Police Turning Heads with New Black-and-White Cruisers

The two brand new 2012 Chevrolet Caprices are being integrated into the fleet

If you've wondered if those black-and-white police cruisers making their way around town belong to North Canton police, they most certainly do. And the North Canton Police Department is pretty excited to add them to the fleet. The two brand new 2012 Chevrolet Caprices will replace two Crown Victorias that have "well over 100,000 miles on them," Officer Mark Hipp said. "We went back to black and white as a more traditional look to try to change it up a bit," Hipp said. He said the department worked with the graphics company Repros to get the design just right. White vinyl graphics that read "North Canton Police" wrap over the doors of the all-black car. All lights on the car are LED lights and use less energy. "They're a lot brighter, too…

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Police Investigating String of Thefts in Which Suspects Steal Outgoing Checks From Mailboxes

Police ask that anyone who recognizes the suspects in the bank surveillance photos call the North Canton Police Department at 330-499-5911

Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:40 p.m. Nov. 2. North Canton police are investigating a string of thefts in the city in which suspects are taking outgoing checks from residents' mailboxes. Police Chief Stephan Wilder said today the suspects are targeting mailboxes that have the red flag up (indicating they have outgoing mail), then taking any checks from inside the mailbox. The suspects then get the victims' bank account information and use that to cash the checks at a branch bank where the victims do not frequent or a branch where their account was not activated. "If the culprits didn’t find a check in there, they discarded the mail, just threw it out and left it on the ground," Wilder said. "They really were just looking for …

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UPDATE: How'd North Canton Hold Up Overnight? (Hurricane Sandy)

City workers are cleaning up toppled trees and power lines throughout the city, but they agree it could be much worse

Editor's note: This story will be continuously updated as information from the public and authorities streams in. Check North Canton Patch for updates throughout the day.  While Hurricane Sandy continues to pound the East Coast, North Canton, too, is feeling the effects of the storm. A rainy Monday turned into a windy Monday night and Tuesday morning as rains and wind toppled some trees and power lines throughout the city. It even caused North Canton City Schools to cancel classes for the day. North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder said the city was attentive to the rainfall last night and was prepared to send out an emergency warning to affected residents in the event of flooding. So far, the city only has had to deal with down power …

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