Gastonia Police Department

08/06/2026

The Gastonia Police Department, working with our local and federal partners as part of the Homeland Security Task Force, helped get drugs and guns off the streets.

Two Honduran nationals who were in the United States illegally have been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking fentanyl. One received a 14-year sentence, while the other was sentenced to 10 years. Both will be deported after serving their prison terms.

During the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 330 grams of fentanyl, approximately $33,000 in cash, drug trafficking ledgers documenting millions of dollars in street-level sales, and two fi****ms, including one that was reported stolen.

Fentanyl continues to pose a serious threat to our communities. We remain committed to working with our partners to disrupt drug trafficking organizations, remove dangerous drugs from our streets, and keep our community safe. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.

08/06/2026

Drivers in the area of Hunter Huss, please take note as school begins shortly.

🚗 New Afternoon Dismissal Traffic & Parking Pattern 🚗

Please note that the City has recently completed a traffic calming project along Lynhaven Drive and Edgefield Avenue. As part of this project, new designated parking spaces have been added around Hunter Huss High School.

For afternoon dismissal:
✅ Please park only in the marked parking spaces.
🚫 Parking along the roadway outside of the designated spaces is not permitted.

These changes are designed to improve traffic flow and, most importantly, help keep our students, staff, and families safe during dismissal.

We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to the City of Gastonia Police Department for their partnership and commitment to improving safety around our campus. We appreciate your support in helping keep our Huskie community safe.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we adjust to this new traffic pattern!

08/06/2026

Helping schools, students, and teachers! 📚✏️💙

This week, Gastonia Police officers are delivering school supply boxes to elementary schools across our community. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our partners, we assembled enough boxes for 90 second-grade classrooms, with each box containing approximately $60 worth of much-needed school supplies.

Wednesday’s deliveries included:
🏫 Woodhill Elementary
🏫 Gardner Park Elementary
🏫 Robinson Elementary
🏫 Lingerfeldt Elementary
🏫 Sadler Elementary
🏫 Pleasant Ridge Elementary
🏫 Chapel Grove Elementary
🏫 W.A. Bess Elementary
🏫 New Hope Elementary
🏫 Bessemer Primary

A special thank you to NorthPoint Development, Carothers Funeral Home, Walmart, Bountiful Blessings, and 101 Blackmen of Highland for making this project possible. Your generosity and donated time is helping equip students and teachers for a successful school year.

We’re proud to serve our community not only by keeping it safe, but by investing in the next generation. We hope you all enjoyed your summer break and that every student (and teacher) has an amazing first day of school!

08/04/2026

FLOCK Alert Leads to Six Arrests, Recovery of Stolen Dog, and Discovery of Suspected Explosive Device
Technology, teamwork, and interagency cooperation across county lines.

The investigation began when Patrol Officers received a Flock Safety camera alert on a vehicle wanted in connection with a breaking and entering in Burke County, where a firearm and a dog had been stolen.

Following a traffic stop, officers developed information that led to a search warrant at a residence on N. Rhyne Street. During the search, officers recovered the stolen dog and located a large amount of drug paraphernalia. Officers also discovered what appeared to be an improvised explosive device.

As a result of the investigation from this FLOCK alert, six people were arrested:

• Faith Harper & Tauris William – Possession of Stolen Property, Resist/Delay/Obstruct (RDO), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (PDP)

• Justin Stillwell & April Montero – Possession of a Weapon of Mass Destruction, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (PDP)

• Daniel Fullove & Ondrea Strong – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (PDP)

Flock Safety cameras continue to be a valuable investigative tool, helping officers quickly identify vehicles connected to criminal activity in Gastonia and beyond, recover stolen property, and make arrests while keeping our community safer.

08/03/2026

K-9 Bo Locates Missing Child. 💙🐾

On Sunday evening, Belmont Police requested K-9 Bo’s assistance in locating a missing 11-year-old.

Using his incredible Bloodhound tracking abilities, Bo led Sgt. Rowland to the child, who was found safely hiding behind a pine tree near a home. Thankfully, the child was unharmed and safely reunited with loved ones.

We’re proud of K-9 Bo and Sgt. Rowland for another successful track and grateful for the strong partnership between our local law enforcement agencies. Every safe outcome is a win!

08/03/2026

Solved!

Gastonia Police investigators, working closely with C-Shift Patrol and the Gastonia Fire Department's Fire Marshal's Office, have successfully identified a suspect in the July 5th arson at the Dollar Tree.

The suspect is a 14-year-old juvenile male.

Because the suspect is a juvenile, no additional identifying information will be released. The Gaston County District Attorney's Office and the Department of Juvenile Justice will determine the next steps in the case.

We appreciate the assistance of everyone who shared information and helped bring this investigation to a successful conclusion thus far.

08/01/2026

Small gestures make big impacts.

Corporal Armstrong spotted some young entrepreneurs selling lemonade at the Mountain View Apartments and couldn’t resist stopping by to show her support. She even picked up $5 worth of lemonade!

Building trust doesn’t always happen during emergencies or calls for service. It happens through simple conversations, shared smiles, and taking the time to connect with the people we serve.

Community policing is about being present, approachable, and building relationships one interaction at a time.

07/31/2026

What an incredible week at the 2026 Gastonia Police Youth Academy! How incredible? Watch the highlight reel.

Twenty-two local teens spent the week getting an up-close look at the many careers and specialized units within the Gastonia Police Department. From the moment they arrived, smiles and excitement set the tone for an unforgettable experience.

One of the biggest highlights—as always—was the pursuit driving course, where our certified driving instructors gave participants a chance to experience precision driving firsthand. They also enjoyed demonstrations from our Bomb Team, Drone Team, Crime Scene Investigations (CSI), SWAT, and K-9 Unit. The SWAT team gave them the opportunity to safely fire a sniper rifle under the guidance of our fi****ms experts, and K-9 Blue definitely stole the show with an impressive bite-and-hold demonstration.

The students also participated in Teen Court, where they learned how cases move through the justice system and saw firsthand how poor choices can have lasting consequences. They toured our Property and Evidence Division to see how evidence is collected, processed, and stored, and visited Gastonia’s Real Time Crime Center to learn how technology, cameras, and real-time intelligence help officers solve crimes, locate missing people, and keep our community safe.

Beyond the excitement, Youth Academy is about giving teenagers a fun, structured week while introducing them to the many career opportunities in law enforcement. If we can plant the seed for a future career in public service, we’ve accomplished something special.

We look forward to hosting this event every summer. The best part isn’t just the demonstrations—it’s seeing the wide eyes, the big smiles, and hearing the thoughtful questions from young people who are genuinely interested in what we do, how we do it, and why we serve.

Thank you to all 24 participants and the Community Coordinator Division for making this year’s academy such a success. We hope to see some of you wearing a Gastonia Police badge one day!

07/31/2026

This week, the Gastonia Police Department was proud to host the City’s Administrative Assistants for their quarterly Lunch & Learn!

Over a delicious Chick-fil-A lunch, attendees got an inside look at our Real Time Crime Center and learned how our Flock camera system is helping officers solve crimes, locate missing people, and improve public safety throughout Gastonia.

We truly appreciate the interest, thoughtful questions, and engagement from everyone who attended. Just as importantly, we want to thank our administrative professionals for the incredible work they do every day to support the many departments that keep our city running. Your dedication behind the scenes makes a difference, and we’re grateful for all you do!

07/30/2026

Congratulations to Sgt. Watts, our Gastonia Police Department Employee of the Month for August!

Sgt. Watts has consistently gone above and beyond, taking on responsibilities well beyond his normal duties to ensure our officers have the tools and support they need to serve the community.

Sgt. Watts has assumed a key leadership role with our Axon Body-Worn Camera Program, working closely with representatives to troubleshoot equipment issues, improve organization and accountability, and ensure officers have reliable equipment. He has also become a backup administrator for the program, mastering the many responsibilities that come with it.

In addition, Sgt. Watts has taken on the Flock Safety Camera Trailer Program, overseeing the deployment and operation of the trailers to help keep our community safe. The work often involves long hours and physically demanding conditions, especially during the summer heat, but he has approached every challenge with professionalism and a positive attitude.

Beyond these duties, he regularly volunteers to assist fellow supervisors by covering patrol responsibilities and resolving scheduling conflicts, ensuring officers have the support they need.

Thank you, Sgt. Watts, for your dedication, leadership, and commitment to excellence. Your willingness to step up and serve both our department and our community does not go unnoticed.

Congratulations on being named Gastonia Police Department’s Employee of the Month! 🎉