By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(Sept. 24, 2026) The Ocean Pines Police Department is adopting new recruitment methods as it aims to overcome a significant staffing deficit.

According to Operations Commander Lt. Joseph Bailey, the department is working with eight officers, or half of what is required for an adequately staffed station.

“We need eight more officers to be fully staffed,” he said. “When we are fully staffed, our organizational chart calls for 16 sworn officers.”

Bailey said his team has hired two new sworn officers within the last few months. One is a new recruit who will graduate from the police academy in December. The second is a retiree from the Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Safety who brings 30 years of law enforcement experience.

Still, the department is exploring new ways to find and hire additional officers. Bailey said one avenue is increasing the agency’s social media messaging for recruitment purposes.

Additionally, the OPPD has recently started using PoliceApp, a website that streamlines the application process for police departments.

PoliceApp says it simplifies hiring by publicizing current law enforcement job openings, matching candidates with the police jobs they qualify for, strengthening efficient communication between departments and applicants, and organizing the application experience.

“This has brought several applicants to our department,” Bailey said.

The OPPD also intends to go out into the community and engage with those who may be interested in becoming a police officer. Bailey said the Ocean Pines agency is in the early stages of assembling a team to attend local colleges and job fairs and recruit young candidates.

Bailey maintained that the OPPD is the perfect fit not only for new officers beginning their careers, but also for experienced public safety personnel looking for work at less hectic departments.

To capture this subgroup, the OPPD recently created flyers aimed at newly retired Maryland Certified Officers who may want to continue their careers at a lower-volume precinct.

“Meaning they’ve spent 20 years at a busy department and are ready to slow down but don’t want to stop being police officers,” Bailey said.

The Ocean Pines Association is also helping the police department with its recruiting efforts. This summer, OPA General Manager John Viola recommended a salary increase for officers.

Viola suggested pay for fresh hires who have not yet graduated from the police academy be raised from $63,500 to $72,000. For certified officers, Viola recommended boosting their $67,945 compensation to $73,500.

Bailey said the salary adjustments have generated some interest.

“The Association takes care of us,” he said.

The operations commander noted that the OPPD is a “great place to work” because of its diverse talent.

“We have the luxury of being a smaller department with a balance of new officers with less experience mixed with the older, more experienced officers,” he said.

Bailey added that the department’s work is geared toward community policing because of the neighborhood’s older population. This means OPPD officers engage with citizens to proactively address public safety concerns.

“Being a smaller agency provides the time to interact with the community,” he said. “… Anyone who is looking for that type of policing would love being a police officer in Ocean Pines.”