Georgetown police report: recruitment progress, crime stats and formation of accountability committee

The Georgetown police chief delivered an update on staffing, recruitment and crime statistics at the Sept. 22 council meeting and outlined the town’s newly formed Police Accountability Committee.

The chief said two officers graduated from the Dover Municipal Police Academy and introduced a new hire, Bradley Dryden, scheduled to start Oct. 6. He said the department sent five people to the state police academy and that, with successful graduations and the new hire, the department could reach its full authorized allotment of 25 officers.

The chief reviewed incident counts for the reporting period (May 26 through Sept. 14), noting fewer incidents in some categories year-over-year and listing specific counts: robberies, arrests, assaults, burglaries and crashes. He said the department recorded 231 crashes during the period, 101 tickets, 45 personal injury accidents, 186 property-damage incidents, 51 hit-and-runs and no fatalities in the reporting window. He characterized many assaults as threats, pushing or shoving rather than serious physical injuries.

On accountability, the chief outlined the Georgetown Police Accountability Committee, created in response to House Bill 206, and identified members and roles: Jerry Hammond (chair), Jane Hovington (vice chair), Kevin Andrade, Jessica Clark, Thurman Hopkins, Jose Barrera and Sonny Guillen. He described the committee’s advisory purpose and a required training expectation of 20 hours within the first year, including options such as classroom instruction, ride-alongs, or virtual training.

Councilors asked clarifying questions about assault classifications and victim cooperation; the chief explained how cases without cooperation or identifying information can remain unresolved.