New Castle County Council President Karen Hartley-Nagle releases a plan for safer neighborhoods and county parks
Many points in her plan mirror what County Exec. Matt Meyer’s administration released last week including increased police presence in parks, encouraging officers to complete paperwork and downtime within parks, and enhanced permit review.
Both plans also include improved park signage, support for large events, and installing electronic gates.
But Hartley-Nagle also wants to focus on recruiting and retaining police officers.
"How are we going to address that? One part is by increasing the starting salary. That also helps in retainment because as the starting salary increases there's a 5% increase overall for everyone."
And Hartley-Nagle also has questions about the crime numbers being reported by New Castle County Police.
"Our numbers show that crime is going down, however that's not what I'm feeling or constituents are feeling, but it could be because not everybody's reporting. So you want to make sure that their reporting just so we have an idea of what is being done. So I always encourage them to report it no matter what so that we now have the numbers and we can address that."
Meyer says had not seen Hartley-Nagle’s plan when interviewed by Delaware Public Media, but he welcomes any input.
"But if it includes ideas that our police chief and that the public safety experts in our department believe would help to make the public safe then we'll incorporate them into what we're doing."
Hartley-Nagle is holding five public safety meetings between August 8 and 17 at libraries throughout the county.
- August 8th at 6:00 PM - Hockessin Library
- August 14th at 6:00 PM - Bear Library
- August 15th at 6:00 PM - Appoquinimink Community Library
- August 16th at 7:15 PM - Route 9 Library & Innovation Center
- August 17th at 6:00 PM - Claymont Library
Karen Hartley-Nagle’s Public Safety Blueprint
- Increase Community Policing: President Hartley-Nagle proposes increasing community policing efforts to establish stronger connections between law enforcement and local communities.
- Higher Starting Salary for New Officers: To address the decline in recruiting numbers, the proposal includes an increase in the starting salary for new police officers to attract and retain talented individuals.
Safety Measures for the Parks:
- Increased Police Presence: The Police Department will implement an increased police presence in parks to enhance security and promote a safer environment for park visitors.
- Mounted Patrol Unit: The Mounted Patrol Unit will be regularly rotated to patrol the parks, utilizing mounted officers, ATVs, and vehicles to deter potential incidents.
- Mobile Enforcement Teams: Deploying Mobile Enforcement Teams and Bike Patrols in parks during weekends, as well as the MET Team in overt and covert capacities, will further enhance safety measures.
- Pay Jobs for Increased Presence: To ensure a consistent presence in parks during evening hours, pay jobs will be used to cover shifts.
- Downtime in Parks: Encourage patrol officers to complete paperwork and downtime within parks to increase their presence.
Medium-Term Infrastructure Investments:
- Electronic Gate Installation: Collaboration with state legislators will install electronic gates to close park entrances to vehicles after hours, prioritizing parks with a history of safety concerns.
- Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and Cameras: Exploring options to increase the number of cameras and license plate readers throughout the parks for enhanced surveillance.
Longer-Term Personnel Enhancements:
- Park Cadet Program Recruitment: Actively recruiting qualified applicants for the Park Cadet Program to strengthen the Police Department's response to emergencies.
- Sign-On Bonuses and Increased Starting Salary: Offering sign-on bonuses and raising the starting salary for new police officers to attract and retain talented officers.
Immediate Action by Public Works:
- Public Works Support for Large Events: Ensuring adequate support for both County-sponsored and permitted events in large parks.
- Enhanced Permit Review: Implementing an enhanced permit review process to avoid overcrowding during busy times.
- Standardized Park Signage: Installing improved park signage to clarify rules and regulations.
- Increased Park Staff: Adding more staff members to adequately care for all 252 parks.
- Transparent Park Master Plan: Creating a transparent park master plan and yearly schedule for maintenance, improvements, and upgrades. Involving Park users in the design or redesign of park spaces will also be emphasized to maintain perceptions of safety and care.
