Dewey Beach town commissioners approve three new full-time officer positions

DEWEY BEACH, DE.- Dewey Beach Town Commissioners have voted to hire three new full-time police officers.

Like many municipalities, we’re told they’ve struggled with recruitment. According to the police chief, the department had instances where only a single officer was on duty. As a result, the police chief presented the town with a staffing plan.

Town Commissioners tell us they had additional savings in the budget to support the new employees, adding that this will also allow them to decrease overtime and the use of personnel in bordering jurisdictions.

It’s a move they say will also increase public safety. “So, we wanted to air on the side of doing the right thing and having enough police down here to handle the crowds we have to handle,” Commissioner Paul Bauer said.

“We moved from being a party town to a family-friendly town that has bars and music. We need to keep that safe and keep that going,” Commissioner Elisabeth Gibbings said.

Town commissioners say the training academy will starting in October and those new officers will be ready to hit the streets by the start of the 2024 season. They also say the additional staff will help increase training efforts.