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Bethany Beach police outline summer staffing, $35,000 federal grant and new drone program
Summary
Police Chief Patrick Foley told the quarterly Police Accountability Committee the department hired 15 seasonal officers, won a $35,000 federal violent‑crime grant for summer overtime, and launched a town‑funded drone program to aid searches and event planning.
Police Chief Patrick Foley told the Bethany Beach Police Accountability Committee that the department is prepared for the summer season with increased staffing, federal grant support and new technology.
Foley said the department hired 10 new seasonal officers and retained five returning seasonals for a summer roster of 15, plus three new administrative hires. He credited higher starting pay for a full‑time position (quoted in the meeting as $83,000) and a $2 hourly increase for seasonal officers—now described in the meeting as $22 an hour—with improved recruitment results.
Foley said the department received a federal "funds to combat violent crimes" grant (~$35,000 as stated in the meeting) that will be used primarily for overtime and "boots on the ground" patrols to supplement town staffing during large or advertised events. He described the funds as flexible within grant guidelines but said the department plans to prioritize physical presence, foot and bicycle patrols, UTVs and other visible deterrence for anticipated takeovers and busy weekends.
The chief also described a new town‑funded drone program: four certified pilots (including Foley and Deputy Chief Norman) completed training and will operate drones for missing‑person searches, crowd awareness, traffic monitoring and operational planning. Foley emphasized the program will comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) line‑of‑sight rules and that DelDOT will provide additional training for pilots and visual observers.
Foley framed the technology rollout cautiously: drones are to be used as operational tools for safety and logistics, not for persistent surveillance beyond FAA limits, and will be operated by two‑person teams (remote pilot and visual observer) in line with FAA guidance the department described at the meeting.
The chief also highlighted educational summer patrols tied to Office of Highway Safety programs—targeting DUI, speed, distracted driving and bicycle/pedestrian safety—with roughly 100 hours planned for June–August focused on outreach (bike lights, reflective bands) rather than enforcement during some windows.
The department intends to advertise community safety seminars (a shoplifting/theft‑prevention and bicycle‑safety session and a student safety seminar) and to continue quarterly reporting on the department’s use of federal grants and event planning.
