By Jack Chavez, Staff Writer

JACK CHAVEZ/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
The Berlin Mayor and Town Council discuss their options to make Berlin a more attractive job destination for law enforcement professionals. They left the meeting with an agreement to pursue a package of improvements that would add $75,000 to this fiscal year’s budget.

(Sept. 29, 2022) Berlin is finally making moves to solve its police staffing issues.

During the Monday meeting of the mayor and Town Council, Berlin’s elected leaders unanimously agreed to pursue a plan that addresses myriad concerns including salary increases, shift differentials, FICA and retirement, pay for field training officers (FTOs), specialty units, K-9 officers, inclement weather and holidays.

“I think that the first thing we need to let everyone know is the manpower we’re working with right now,” Police Chief Arnold Downing said. “The staff is allocated for 14 (officers). We have two out on medical and three actual vacancies. Right now … we’re having difficulties getting applicants — people who want to do the job itself. When we look at our numbers, when we put out an advertisement and it’s sitting beside the other agencies, we’re inferior.”

Downing went on to describe how they posted signs at a regional police academy. Juxtaposing their signs against other agencies like Delmar, Delaware State Police and Maryland State Police clearly illustrated the disparity the town wants to eliminate.

“We definitely need to go ahead and offer a little bit more if we want to go ahead and (attract) the limited number of individuals who are out there for this profession.”

The other issue, Downing said, is keeping the officers they already have.

“Retaining the officers you have, that know the citizens and do a good job every day, should be one of our paramount things,” he said. “We have to keep those individuals in mind. Whenever they hear that the mayor and council and the citizens care about them, it goes a long way.”

In his report to the council, Downing outlined three options to consider.

The total increase in the budget for the remaining portion of FY23 would be around $75,000. It is by far the most generous of the three options. The option selected comes in at a total budgetary impact of $315,000 per fiscal year compared to $272,000 and $240,000 for the other two.

Beginning in July, Downing, Mayor Zack Tyndall, Town Administrator Mary Bohlen and Human Resources Director Kelsey Jensen began holding regular discussions over ways to make the department a more attractive option to potential recruits. Berlin Police Lt. Robert Fisher also came onboard following the initial meeting.

Berlin Police Chief Arnold Downing

According to a memo from Tyndall to the council, the group discussed changes such as adjusting salaries across the entire department to compensate officers based on experience and service time equitably, creating a field-training-officer shift differential of $1.75 per hour while a police officer is training a new hire, increasing the town’s evening shift differential by 65 cents per hour and the midnight shift by 80 cents per hour to be competitive with other agencies.

In addition, the plan would raise

the department’s inclement weather rate to 2.5 times the normal rate, add more payments for officers working in specialty areas and making the holiday compensation rate more competitive by paying 1.5 times the normal rate — twice the normal rate on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Councilmember Dean Burrell asked how these recommendations compare to the other agencies mentioned by Downing.

“In our research, we found out that a lot of the things that other agencies offered we never offered (in the first place),” Downing responded. “When you look at those little things (we outlined), those are things that Berlin officers have never had. So, again, in doing that research and seeing what others are doing, those definitely look good when we fill out that advertisement sheet.

“When a person comes by (their first questions are) how much do I get paid? What days do I get off? And they go from there. Officers who are here and working know those things and the next question is, “Can I retire?” and those sort of things.”

Though he won’t be on the council when the wheels start to turn on this initiative, departing Councilmember Troy Purnell praised the decision.

“It’s earned and it’s deserved, and probably for a long time,” he said. “I want to see it happen.”

After the vote, Councilmember Shaneka Nichols praised the decision.

“Every day that I see a sheriff’s deputy or officer from other departments, they always mention, ‘Hey listen, you know what you guys should be doing in Berlin?’ So now, the word can be, ‘Hey listen, you know what they’re doing in Berlin?’ You guys deserve this.”