For the fourth consecutive year, we hired 10 additional police officers for Memorial Day Weekend to assist the local forces. The additional police working in concert with the Dewey Beach Police made for a safe and peaceful holiday for both locals and visitors to the area.
Tens of thousands of people pour into the beach communities for Memorial Day celebrations; Dewey Beach gets a huge chunk of that population with nearly 35,000 people coming through the small town. Because Memorial Day draws such an enormous amount of vacationers, public safety can become an issue.
We want people to have a great time in Dewey Beach, but we also feel a strong sense of responsibility to protect residents. Restaurants like the Starboard often hire their own security, but residential areas can get flooded after the restaurants close and people make their way back to their vacation rentals. That is why for the past four years, we've hired these additional police officers for the Memorial Day weekend at our own expense, which totals $6,000.
This initiative began in an attempt to treat Memorial Day like its own ‘event’ ...similar to Dover Downs NASCAR races. Memorial Day sees an influx of holiday weekend visitors who only vacation in town that one weekend, so these forces assist the town’s full time police so the season starts off on a positive note and this has worked well over this period.The officers have their own town’s police vehicles, which give a heightened sense of presence with the lights flashing throughout residential areas. It has been effective, which is why we continue the traditions.
It’s a fun weekend, but the crowds are up and we want everyone to respect the neighborhoods in the area. Seeing a police presence throughout the neighborhood as people make their way back home from local restaurants like the Starboard is a simple way to cut down on crime and other bad behavior that can lead to increased incidences, complaints and confrontations.
The contribution is making a clear difference in the Dewey Beach community. Crime and complaints are down for the holiday weekend. The weekend was quiet and enjoyed by vacationers and residents alike.
The continued commitment to making Dewey Beach a safe town to enjoy is one that we take very seriously, and this is yet another way to support the community. Residents appreciate the contribution, and the additional peace of mind the gesture affords them.
Steve “Monty” Montgomery
The Starboard
Jim Baeurle
Dewey Beach Enterprises and Ruddertowne
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to newsroom@capegazette.com. Letters must be signed and include a telephone number and address for verification. Please keep letters to 500 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content and length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days. Letters restating information and opinions already offered by the same author will not be used. Letters must focus on issues of general, local concern, not personalities or specific businesses.
