Did you know Dewey Beach commissioners only found out about the violent incident after it made the national wire before it was disclosed by town management.
Now, the mayor is refusing to hold a commissioners’ meeting with the public and police, stating: “As mayor of Dewey Beach, I will not put my head in the sand and pretend that a town meeting will fix this problem.”
Instead, the mayor is meeting with organizations he holds membership in, such as the Lions Clubs and the Dewey Business Partnership, to “brainstorm” in closed-door meetings with friends rather than invite and listen to the commissioners and public because they may disagree with him.
Disagreement is healthy for problem solving and will lead to constructive solutions that the mayor should not be afraid of. It’s about standing tall, putting aside differences, and working together to fix the situation.
We do not need a repeat of this violence or the other violent incident from earlier this month.
I have been asked what ideas I have to end this violence. Below are some of my ideas. Can you share yours with me at DavidM@TownOfDeweyBeach.com?
• Have the police chief do a patrol-walk the next few Saturday nights (and July 4th) in the area around Dagsworthy Avenue from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. in hopes that this violence subsidizes. Why shouldn’t the most experienced officer be working, leading and observing during peak periods?
• Raise the pay of seasonal police to that of the lifeguards. I previously presented this idea to the police chief and the town manager who casually rejected it. I believe it is time to reconsider.
• Actively recruit additional seasonal officers.
• Raise the pay of part-time officers to a higher wage so additional can be added. In addition to giving the full-time officers a break, this will add more experienced officers to the ranks.
• Hire the additional full-time officers the commissioners budgeted for. I have not seen any advertisement for the position in the local newspaper or on the town website.
• A 1 percent Dewey hotel tax. This estimated $150,000 a year would allow the town to improve police technology, help pay for performance-based increases for all town staff, and act as a budget buffer for the upcoming reduced fiscal inflows.
• Work with business owners to end the dollar drink promotions.
• Fully prosecute those who engage in violence.
• Use police data to pinpoint trouble spots and station an officer in that area.
• Increase the police department’s technology including communications equipment.
• Record the police complaint line. The mayor and town manager have recently refused to implement this budget item.
• Increase lighting along trouble spots.
• Additional police training.
• Upgrade the town website to integrate a new and improved police website. This will help enhance communication and recruitment.
• The town manager should provide weekly reports to the commissioners on police statistics and an overview of any issues that week.
• Work with restaurant owners to ensure that the security they employ are properly trained, contact the police before situations get out of control, and have the latest ID scanning technology.
David Moskowitz
Commissioner, Town of Dewey Beach
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