EXCLUSIVE: St. Paul’s By the Sea at Odds With Police Over Shelter Response

OCEAN CITY, Md. — A dispute over the operation of a temporary shelter at St. Paul’s By the Sea Episcopal Church in Ocean City is now raising concerns about public safety and how police should respond to incidents involving shelter guests.

In an interview with WMDT, Pastor Jill Williams said the church continues to operate the shelter every night, with the number of guests consistently nearing 40.

“We are continuing to operate shelter by the sea every night, and, we have seen an increase in our numbers closer to 40 a night consistently,” Pastor Jill said.

She said a recent incident at the shelter has created a new obstacle in the church’s ongoing dispute with the Town of Ocean City.

Pastor Jill said police were called after a shelter guest became violent toward a staff member. She said six officers responded, but the individual was not removed.

The reason? According to guidance given to police, shelter guests should be treated as residents, not temporary tenants.

“The people who came through the doors of our temporary shelter were residents, and that we should file eviction proceedings,” Pastor Jill said.

She said officers advised the staff member involved to seek a peace order.

Pastor Jill also claimed officers told church staff the department should no longer intervene in calls made by the church.

“The police department came and six police officers responded and let the staff know that Kristin Heizer, the state’s attorney, had told the Ocean City police Department that they should not intervene any longer,” Pastor Jill said.

The Ocean City Police Department disputes that characterization.

In a statement obtained by WMDT, OCPD said officers responded Sept. 3 to a report of a disorderly individual and spoke with shelter staff about David Kroon, a shelter guest.

Police said that, based on guidance from the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office, Kroon should be treated as a tenant for purposes of eviction, trespassing and determining whether the matter was civil in nature.

The church says that guidance raises concerns about public safety because St. Paul’s is a church operating a temporary shelter, rather than a private residence. Pastor Jill said staff need to be able to call police when a situation becomes too difficult or dangerous for them to handle on their own.

“When things become beyond the control of the staff of the public place, then they call for the police to help,” Pastor Jill said.

OCPD also disputed the church’s account of the alleged assault.

According to police, a staff member involved in the incident repeatedly denied that she had been physically assaulted and said she did not want to be a complaining victim. Police said no one else corroborated the allegation and there were no visible injuries.

Officers provided staff with information about seeking a peace order.

Police said they eventually got Kroon to leave the shelter voluntarily. OCPD said officers continued watching him outside the church because they were concerned he could engage in disorderly conduct or attempt to return.

Within five minutes, police said they observed Kroon engaging in disorderly conduct and arrested him.

Church staff contacted police again Sept. 6 and provided a written statement saying Kroon’s conduct had presented a “serious safety concern” and that he had made threats against a staff member and her family, according to OCPD.

Police said they advised the staff member to seek a peace order and will follow up with the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding the criminal case involving Kroon.

The incident comes as the church and the Town of Ocean City continue to disagree over the shelter and how it should operate.