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Dunmore police report spike in calls, part-time staffing strain and new outreach programs
Summary
Chief Rich Barth told council May call volume rose to 1,190 and outlined personnel shortages, recruitment plans with local colleges, the Blue Envelope Program for drivers with communication challenges, and results from a state Aggressive Driving grant.
Police Chief Rich Barth gave the department’s May 2026 report to council on June 8, saying the department responded to 1,190 calls of service — roughly 237 more than April — and outlined staffing shortfalls and several programmatic responses.
"So for the monthly report for the month of May, 2026, we responded to 1,190 calls of service," Barth said, then supplied a breakdown of incident types including traffic stops, domestics, crashes and overdoses. He reported nine criminal arrests and 169 traffic arrests during the month.
Barth described personnel pressures: several officers remain out on work-related injury and the department is short on part-time officers, producing 14 overtime shifts in the reporting period. "We're bare bones," Barth said, and he told council the department will begin an online recruiting effort and outreach to local schools and academies.
The chief outlined recruitment outreach to Lackawanna College, Marywood and Penn State and explained limits of state funding to sponsor academy training — funding that requires pre-application and cannot quickly fill urgent vacancies.
Barth also described two operational programs: a state-funded Aggressive Driving enforcement campaign carried out May 11–29 that produced 91 written warnings and 147 traffic citations, and the department’s adoption of the Blue Envelope Program to help officers identify drivers with autism or communication disabilities in traffic stops.
Council asked about possible sponsorship of academy costs; Barth said state funds exist but require advance application and are not a near-term fix for immediate staffing needs. He said department leaders will continue recruitment and report back with progress.
