Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Police topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police report: recruitment app, incident statistics and new pedestrian safety ordinance to be enforced after education period
Summary
Chief provided staffing and activity data, described a recruitment platform (JoinDelaware), and said a newly codified pedestrian safety ordinance will be followed by an education period before enforcement; officers will also ramp up bicycle and panhandling enforcement tied to traffic and private property rules.
At the March 24 meeting the police chief summarized staffing, recruitment efforts, activity statistics from Jan. 20–March 20 and enforcement plans tied to a newly codified pedestrian safety ordinance.
The chief said the department is using joinDelaware.com, a statewide recruitment platform, to streamline applications and backgrounds; the tool has reduced staff time spent on background checks and could support hiring for spring and fall police academy classes. The department reported 1,219 incidents dispatched during the Jan. 20–March 20 period, with reported crime totals including 73 assaults (24 arrests), 15 burglaries (4 arrests) and 56 fugitives removed from the streets during that period. Crash data provided included 72 crashes, eight personal‑injury collisions and 65 property‑damage incidents; no fatalities were reported in the referenced period.
The chief said a pedestrian safety ordinance has been codified; the department will distribute educational flyers about the new ordinance and generally educate people for roughly 30 days before beginning enforcement. The chief also described stepped enforcement on bicycle safety — officers have issued many warnings and are issuing tickets to repeat violators — and clarified panhandling is protected by the First Amendment in many circumstances but the department will address loitering or trespass when persons are on private property and not conducting business.
The chief thanked council for support for a new police facility and said the department is finalizing internal design and planning for IT, camera and access systems. No formal council action was required for the update.
