Pocomoke Police Chief asks for more officers

Chief William Harden says his department is stretched to the limit and is asking the town council to approve another officer.

However, town manager Bobby Cowger says Harden's 'ask' is out of order.

"A request like that is a significant request and it has quite an impact to our budget. And that size of a request in the middle of a fiscal year with your budget is just totally uncalled for." 

Cowger says Pocomoke has other priorities and approving a new officer is more than the budget can handle right now. 

"The initial start up of a new officer hiring is gonna run you almost a $100,000."

Its not that Cowger doesn't understand the challenges Harden faces, but right now all of the town's resources are going toward another quality of life issue.

"Our water, fixing our water lines here in the town of Pocomoke that right now is our number one priority. Anywhere we can get extra money, we are putting it into replacing lines in Pocomoke Heights."

Other city leaders like Esther Troast agree that granting the request would trigger a hardship.
Still she says there are some issues that make policing the town challenging. 

"We are the crossroads for drug trafficking and taxable cigarettes and so on and so forth."

Cowger tells 47 ABC that there are two additional officers that were previously approved. 

One of them is due to hit the streets by next summer.