Wadsworth police report uptick in calls; school bomb threat suspect arrested and robbery suspect indicted

Police Chief Dave Dorland reported to the Wadsworth Public Safety Committee on March 11 that the department’s emergency dispatch handled 3,525 calls in February, including 577 911 calls, and recorded 1,589 Calls For Service — a 12% increase from February 2025.

Dorland highlighted two recent, resource‑intensive investigations. He said the March 2 bomb threat at the high school was resolved quickly: “The suspect was identified within about 2 to 3 hours after the call and was taken into custody by about 7:00 p.m. that evening,” and the juvenile has been charged with two counts of inducing panic and one count of disorderly conduct. Dorland said the incident tested interdepartmental coordination and offered the school system and police an opportunity to debrief and refine their emergency operations plans.

Dorland also reviewed a March 6 armed robbery at a Minit‑Mart that led to a vehicle pursuit. He told the committee the suspect was later indicted on aggravated robbery, kidnapping and failure to comply related to the pursuit. The department used city FLOCK and traffic cameras to support the investigation, and detectives continue to work the case.

The chief described ongoing training and certifications tied to these operational priorities, including Field Training Officer seminars and Intoxilyzer 8000 certification for four officers, and said the department plans March Crisis Intervention and an April Active Killer Response training conducted by WPD trainers. He also reported the K‑9 vehicle upfit was nearly complete and expected to enter full‑time service within about two weeks.

Council leaders had no follow‑up questions during the meeting; the committee accepted the report and moved on to the Fire/EMS presentation.