[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6474801,"mediaKeyId","5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9","parentId",5739646,"title","County police welcome 52 recruits; officials say authorized strength will reach 415 for first time since 2014","audioSeconds",774,"startMs",777000,"endMs",2294,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9&start=777&end=2","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9/thumbnail_777000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6474801/New-Castle-County/Delaware/County-police-welcome-52-recruits-officials-say-authorized-strength-will-reach-415-for-first-time-since-2014","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474801-8055be104a5ce952b8b020bf25039e4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500702&Signature=CLKtsj-bRJSNZfjZIBXL3iqWDaDSz2MjDcz8Hn0xrn5su4L6F9~Pw0IOgl0PuZ-jAAUdW7pB3Npszzdx6qh8DBrjKva9mu7gWN9GEbClm0wXhdvLeQV2vY5jU2OspgrJ8cVsgQjogOxQcFUFbu4l2bv3Oxa4FJy9N9PuwpFiw7E2Ho-3XvGz~BdcFcnWseCEUIa5u3Cm~DlJ0e8auJ~pnmVC5nGc9XbwvzQDdZOjPsrw9gea65PRAOKtWrvfwCa-VeKNbwE1kCWCK1BdQGJElM-6kxWbiSU8PN4dvwybE9n6E9nYUnIbImCTd0qvPVKAxvW1AeWJWOKAXmuElSGalA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Castle County","date","2025-09-09T00:00:00Z","article","New Castle County officials told the Public Safety Committee Sept. 9 that a newly sworn class of recruits should return the county police department to its authorized staffing level for the first time since 2014 and allow officials to expand community-engagement and behavioral-health initiatives.

Colonel Jamie Leonard, chief of police, said the department welcomed 52 recruits to its police academy and that the county executive authorized over-hiring to compensate for an expected washout rate. “Yesterday morning at 7AM, we welcomed 52 new recruits to our police academy,” Leonard said. He estimated the department’s on-paper employment at 423 with an authorized strength of 415 and said a 10–12% wash rate would still leave the department at authorized strength after the class graduates, projected in March.

Leonard and Director Elmer Setting credited changes to recruiting practices and closer coordination with human-resources staff for the increase in qualified applicants. Leonard described changes to minimum-qualification language and an intensified, in-house grassroots recruiting campaign that included adding recruiters and extra polygraphists. He said the department saw a much larger applicant pool for recent tests.

Council members praised the result. Councilman Street said he was “pleasantly surprised” and thanked leadership for stepping in during a time of critical need. Councilman Curry said he had seen a noticeable increase in patrol cars in southern New Castle County and thanked staff for the progress. Councilman Kaneko, cochair of public safety, commended the chief and director for responsiveness to community concerns.

Committee members asked about diversity and recruiting outcomes. The chief said the department worked to increase female applicants and applicants from protected classes by offering preparatory seminars and tutoring for fitness and academic elements of the hiring process; he said he would provide exact demographic breakdowns to the council.

Officials also credited recent local legislation that changed a retirement-age policy; the chief noted that the change had kept 26 officers on the force who otherwise would have retired. The meeting transcript refers to an “age 57 change”; the ordinance or code citation was not read on the record during this session.

Under other business, Councilman Street raised community concerns about vandalism at Rosegate park and asked for cameras and lighting. Director Setting said the county and public-safety leadership have been working on the issue, acknowledged earlier camera installations did not meet technical interface standards, and committed to improving conditions and installing cameras that integrate with public-safety systems.

Street also asked the county to address a perceived increase in pedestrian fatalities; Setting said the department would take that concern under consideration.

No committee action or vote on police staffing or related community requests was recorded in the transcript; members expressed broad support for continued recruiting and targeted responses to neighborhood safety issues.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Castle County - Public Safety Committee","oneSentenceSummary","County police officials told the New Castle County Public Safety Committee Sept. 9 that a class of 52 recruits should bring the department to its authorized strength of 415 and enable expansion of community initiatives.","taxTitle","New Castle County, Delaware","taxId",12637,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6474806,"State radiological preparedness rep briefs county on drills, potassium iodide distributions",613,215000,828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9&start=215&end=828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9/thumbnail_215000.jpg","/articles/6474806/New-Castle-County/Delaware/State-radiological-preparedness-rep-briefs-county-on-drills-potassium-iodide-distributions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474806-ae9ff3e617e20cf36629bbbc9448ec9b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500702&Signature=A4LDh4mOCAgmuuwX71gAbls6tF~1KfKpbt2b4UixFWn8Rfc4yh7Svcqr5RbshXorDlKYqcWx73XJUq8JvYm2bYf6EijpMeUrLMZ9VzkismM0tPDRw~V7~Yekw6-PyOzXLk6wQkH85R0-4azHAD93qUjHRiipoQvtX4XDBEix9Zl5Rt~W8rofzhqrzIEMeLwtOFh1lGroiOb~gAGaMlYoLUazEiWC2gIVyxNK-ZhHpwsAIPluLbpRdXzjyvwaLz~FAYcwUlqQd6OcvRoBx-3m4jhusUbm7y31iWhVhy24JwqivgIVCY6VNNHyhWmMrlthSlZTefM9bzJhpFcTzv2W9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Castle County Public Safety Committee received a briefing Sept. 9 from a state radiological emergency preparedness official on drills, planning zones and upcoming potassium iodide (KI) distributions for residents who live or work within the nuclear-plant emergency planning area.

Patrick O'Connell, planning supervisor at the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA), described the program’s purpose as coordinating guidance, training and resources to state and local governments to protect public health and safety in the event of an incident at a commercial nuclear power plant. “When I’m speaking about the nuclear power plant incident, I was talking about the main nuclear power plant that we have that affects the state is Salem Hope Creek, which is across the river in Lower Alloway’s Creek,” O'Connell said.

O'Connell said the program conducts quarterly drills with state and local partners and biannual, FEMA-evaluated exercises to provide “reasonable assurance” that authorities can protect public health and safety within the 10-mile emergency planning zone. He noted additional plants in the broader 50-mile ingestion pathway that can affect the state, including sites in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

On protective actions, O'Connell described potassium iodide (KI) as medicine used to saturate the thyroid with stable iodine and reduce absorption of radioactive iodine during incidents. He said Delaware follows EPA protective-action guidance for KI administration and that the state provides two KI distribution events each year for people who live or work inside the emergency planning zone.

O'Connell provided specific upcoming distribution plans: a KI distribution scheduled Oct. 2 at the Townsend Fire Company and a second distribution typically held in April at the Middletown Fire Company (specific April date not yet set).

Committee members asked about a pending federal bill that could change FEMA recovery and reimbursement processes. Dr. Carter said he would coordinate with county staff to track the legislation; O'Connell said he would share information he has and coordinate with county emergency-management staff.

Councilman Kaneko praised the state-county coordination and noted plans to rotate upcoming KI distribution events to Delaware City for October. O'Connell confirmed Delaware City is on the schedule.","Patrick O'Connell of the state's radiological emergency preparedness program briefed the New Castle County Public Safety Committee on planning zones, exercises and upcoming potassium iodide (KI) distribution dates for residents and workers inside the 10-mile emergency planning zone around the Salem-Hope Creek nuclear plant.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6474811,"Committee hears plan to accept FEMA-donated surveillance trailer and police software via grants budget amendment",430,52000,482000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9&start=52&end=482","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5739646-11be98e65e170b26b340b80945f3fbe9/thumbnail_52000.jpg","/articles/6474811/New-Castle-County/Delaware/Committee-hears-plan-to-accept-FEMA-donated-surveillance-trailer-and-police-software-via-grants-budget-amendment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6474811-a1a33e9c29dd332a278ce3ba7c48b43c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770500702&Signature=bnN5zxjWdPEuof1mOpfJ4g8QHmg6aCWbz-YwTRgQ15k8KIytM6SKqq1AynbpwoRpHuwN1VTVQgNAdIdlz3yeccd823nwvLowYud~0OrflP52qsJ~XzeQHDmy8Y8N3~KgBp7LSQ6vi2LY2cH22zDKigwGdk7b~KHIzm3OV~SzQezLNdpvzMe5vlpucKgYLpsaDMkF5913KdlOKoSpjOSbdOfQwNc197rvYxJgdgVfBXlc7rJ12nPggN4IdZDpQJyvRnllKr00t0Zm3geaUOyogHIAnqUJSmkyEH2D5kXQTKOIhNjP6N2YfPVKKD3NH9O49G-GnPX4g4kCRpZXYrED-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","New Castle County Public Safety Committee heard a presentation Sept. 9 on an ordinance to amend the grants budget to accept federal funding and take ownership of donated equipment purchased through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.

Chris Hodgson, coordinator of emergency management, told the committee the county submitted two projects to capture leftover fiscal-year funding from the state terrorism working group administered by DEMA. “One is a mobile surveillance camera, and one is a force matrix, software system for the police department,” Hodgson said. He described both items as donated to the county through an MOU after purchase with federal funds.

Hodgson said the mobile surveillance trailer has already been delivered and is being finalized for county use. He told the committee the projects must be completed by the September deadline and that staff expect to finish on time.

Councilman Smiley asked whether the county was buying equipment from FEMA or receiving a donation. Hodgson replied that DEMA purchased the equipment with FEMA funds and is donating it to the county under a memorandum of understanding.

The ordinance cover sheet read aloud at the meeting described an appropriation of federal funding from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA for receipt of donated equipment; a dollar amount appears in the spoken agenda text but is unclear in the transcript. The transcript does not record a subsequent committee vote on the ordinance.

No members of the public spoke on the item during the meeting.

If the ordinance moves forward to a later vote, committee members and the public will expect the formal ordinance text to specify the exact grant amount, any MOU terms, and operational rules governing use and data retention for surveillance equipment.","At the Sept. 9 New Castle County Public Safety Committee meeting, staff presented an ordinance to amend the grants budget to accept federal funds and take ownership of FEMA/DEMA-purchased equipment, including a mobile surveillance trailer and software. No formal vote on the ordinance appears in the transcript.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County police welcome 52 recruits; officials say authorized strength will reach 415 for first time since 2014

State radiological preparedness rep briefs county on drills, potassium iodide distributions

Committee hears plan to accept FEMA-donated surveillance trailer and police software via grants budget amendment