Chatham County police report drop in crime and highlight recent major investigations
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Summary
Chief Hadley told commissioners violent crime and property crime are down year‑to‑date and reviewed several major cases including a Westlake mass‑shooting investigation, an infant homicide, large elder‑fraud scheme and a recent machete incident; the department will hold a scam‑awareness workshop on Nov. 6.
Chief Hadley, Chatham County police chief, reported to the commission that the department’s year‑to‑date crime statistics for 2025 show declines in several major categories and described several investigations that illustrate investigative workload and community risk.
Chief Hadley said robberies are down by 19 incidents compared with the same point in 2024, total violent crime is down 11%, property crime is down 15% and total reported crime is down 14% from last year. He also said officers logged 1,437 captured citizen contacts across unincorporated Chatham County as a measure of community policing.
The chief summarized multiple complex investigations. He described a Westlake shooting in March that was linked to a July 2024 homicide; investigators reviewed social media, jail calls and cell‑phone data and arrested several people, including John Jaituan Reed, Jamond Reed and Tyree King in the homicide probe. The same Westlake matter yielded arrests of Jamond Reed, Jaden Green, Yousef Jenkins and Cleveland Dunham in the shooting investigation, the chief said.
Chief Hadley also described an infant homicide arrest: a 5‑month‑old identified in the presentation as Liam Rye suffered a fractured skull and brain bleed; the investigation concluded the injuries were the result of child abuse and led to an arrest.
Discussing property crimes and auto thefts, the chief said patrol made multiple arrests in September related to thefts from vehicles on Quacco Road and Diamond Causeway.
The chief warned of a persistent elder‑fraud scheme in which scammers posed as bank representatives; he gave a case example in which an 89‑year‑old victim liquidated assets totalling $624,697, including cashier’s checks and gold coins. Investigators arrested an intermediary identified in the meeting as Mr. Baria and have involved federal partners. The chief said the department has recorded 187 fraud victims so far this year and is organizing a scam awareness workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6, at Bible Baptist Church to educate residents, particularly elderly caretakers and family members.
The chief also reviewed an officer response to a Walmart incident in which a staff member was threatened with two machetes. He praised the actions of a young patrol officer whose body‑camera footage showed the officer de‑escalate and restrain the subject without a lethal encounter.
Commissioners thanked the chief and emphasized community engagement. Commissioner Aaron Whiteley called the citizen contact slide his “favorite” and urged the public to give officers “some grace” as they respond to difficult incidents.
Why it matters: The chief’s account provides the commission and the public with a data snapshot of crime trends, details on high‑profile investigations and a forthcoming public outreach event aimed at fraud prevention.
Ending: The department encouraged timely reporting of suspected fraud, noting that speed in reporting gives investigators a better chance to recover funds and identify additional victims.