Discussion continues on Dewey police department analysis

Dewey officials agree hiring police officers is the top priority resulting from a police department analysis, but say efforts to hire new personnel are so far unsuccessful in a Nov. 2 joint workshop of commissioners and police.

Police Chief Sam Mackert said the department has eight full-time and five part-time officers. Part-time officers are called in as needed and not always available because they work full time elsewhere, he said.

“There’s less interest in getting into law enforcement now,” Mackert said. “It’s not just Dewey Beach that’s facing this. There’s a lot of other agencies facing this across the country.”

Town Manager Scott Koenig said eight people responded to an advertised full-time position, but none were qualified to attend the police academy.

The department also saw a significant decrease in seasonal police applicants this year, Mackert said. The goal was to hire 26, but only 16 were ultimately hired.

Koenig said many places are abandoning seasonal police programs because of a lack of recruits, but that’s not an option in Dewey Beach. 

“The program is important to the security and safety of our area,” Koenig said. “It is part of the way we secure our community.”

The analysis, completed in June by retired Delaware State Police Capt. Gregory Warren, also recommended the town have more than the nine full-time officers it budgeted for because of the busy summer season when extra-duty shifts are needed, Koenig said.

Commissioners first met Aug. 9 to discuss the report and authorize Warren to update the police manual; at the time, Mayor TJ Redefer said he wanted town staff to review the report and make recommendations to commissioners so they could hold the public workshop.

Another high-priority item involved developing a strategic plan to guide the department, which was not acted on at the commissioners’ Nov. 9 meeting.

Koenig said the report recommended the chief and upper-level officers attend community events to build relationships with residents. Lt. Billy Hocker suggested the town hold its first-responder appreciation night in the summer when a large population is in town and can meet with officers, rather than in the fall.

Mackert agreed. “Manpower is our most valuable resource,” he said. “I want an officer that knows my citizens and community, gets along with people and will use only the amount of force necessary to protect our people.”

The report stated that improving the relationship between town government and the police department is important.

“There is and has been definite friction,” Koenig said. “It didn’t happen overnight, and it won’t go away overnight. Our comments matter when we speak in public. The police department is a very important component of this community, and comments can detract from our ability to motivate and recruit. They need our support.”

Commissioner David Moskowitz shared a spreadsheet that detailed priorities of all other recommendations. He said he would like to see a due date for action items and who is responsible for each by the next meeting, as a timeline and budget for addressing recommendations has yet to be determined.

“We need due dates or it will never get done,” Moskowitz said; Commissioner Dale Cooke agreed.

Commissioner Gary Persinger said many items on the list will cost money, and the town has to find ways to pay for them. He said with no property tax, town officials must take a better look at revenue streams. 

Commissioner Paul Bauer said funding is the key component missing in the spreadsheet.

“We haven’t even talked about what we’re going to spend on these things,” he said. “We need to attach dollars to things to fix; budget and finance [committee] needs to be engaged.”

Redefer said the workshop was a good start to addressing recommendations and improving relationships.

“We need to do this twice a year,” he said, “possibly quarterly, and an end-of-season debrief.”