County police welcome 52 recruits; officials say authorized strength will reach 415 for first time since 2014

New Castle County officials told the Public Safety Committee Sept. 9 that a newly sworn class of recruits should return the county police department to its authorized staffing level for the first time since 2014 and allow officials to expand community-engagement and behavioral-health initiatives.

Colonel Jamie Leonard, chief of police, said the department welcomed 52 recruits to its police academy and that the county executive authorized over-hiring to compensate for an expected washout rate. “Yesterday morning at 7AM, we welcomed 52 new recruits to our police academy,” Leonard said. He estimated the department’s on-paper employment at 423 with an authorized strength of 415 and said a 10–12% wash rate would still leave the department at authorized strength after the class graduates, projected in March.

Leonard and Director Elmer Setting credited changes to recruiting practices and closer coordination with human-resources staff for the increase in qualified applicants. Leonard described changes to minimum-qualification language and an intensified, in-house grassroots recruiting campaign that included adding recruiters and extra polygraphists. He said the department saw a much larger applicant pool for recent tests.

Council members praised the result. Councilman Street said he was “pleasantly surprised” and thanked leadership for stepping in during a time of critical need. Councilman Curry said he had seen a noticeable increase in patrol cars in southern New Castle County and thanked staff for the progress. Councilman Kaneko, cochair of public safety, commended the chief and director for responsiveness to community concerns.

Committee members asked about diversity and recruiting outcomes. The chief said the department worked to increase female applicants and applicants from protected classes by offering preparatory seminars and tutoring for fitness and academic elements of the hiring process; he said he would provide exact demographic breakdowns to the council.

Officials also credited recent local legislation that changed a retirement-age policy; the chief noted that the change had kept 26 officers on the force who otherwise would have retired. The meeting transcript refers to an “age 57 change”; the ordinance or code citation was not read on the record during this session.

Under other business, Councilman Street raised community concerns about vandalism at Rosegate park and asked for cameras and lighting. Director Setting said the county and public-safety leadership have been working on the issue, acknowledged earlier camera installations did not meet technical interface standards, and committed to improving conditions and installing cameras that integrate with public-safety systems.

Street also asked the county to address a perceived increase in pedestrian fatalities; Setting said the department would take that concern under consideration.

No committee action or vote on police staffing or related community requests was recorded in the transcript; members expressed broad support for continued recruiting and targeted responses to neighborhood safety issues.