Berlin Police Department acting as safe haven for community

BERLIN, Md.- The Berlin Police Department wants to let the community know their facility can be used as a safe haven.

Berlin Police Chief Arnold Downing said he hopes this safe haven concept can eliminate the number of theft and assault incidents when people are meeting up to conduct transactions for goods they arranged on social media. He said this year there has been an increase in assaults stemming from these incidents. He also wants the Police Department to be a safe, well-lit area, with cameras, for these exchanges to happen.

“This year we actually had a couple, we had three so far to the town of Berlin to being in a week of each other being the same parties, luring to an actual apartment complex assaulting the subject taking their goods and then running to another complex,” Chief Arnold Downing said.

Another piece to this is that the department can be a safe haven for parents or guardians involved in child custody cases.

Chief Downing said they have seen conflict come from child custody exchanges, whether it be at homes or public spaces, and we’re told during the holidays those instances can be more problematic.

“With the child custody cases, if they know they are coming to a police department to go ahead and do something, they are not as apt to go ahead and cause a scene or actually a crime,” Chief Downing said.

Berlin Police Chief Downing said he thinks they can do a better job promoting themselves as a safe haven.