REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. -- The Rehoboth Beach Police Department is having trouble filling seasonal officer positions, mainly because of a lack of affordable workforce housing nearby.
Rehoboth Beach Police Department Chief of Police Keith Banks says only 13 of the 26 budgeted cadet positions have been filled this year. He says the issue has created more overtime and workload for cadets.
"They're out there saving lives, along with the life guards," says Banks. "Truly, they're something we cannot do without."
The department has been forced to do without many recruits, most of them college students, simply because they can't afford to live within a reasonable distance of the city.
Banks says it's an affordable workforce housing issue that can't be solved with the department's $1,000 housing stipend and potential signing bonuses.
"We're making sure we work with our Mayor and commissioners to see what can we do about this workforce housing for the future," says Banks. "We know this is not a quick fix, but this has to be on our radar."
Mayor Stan Mills says it's a problem every coastal town with seasonal workers is experiencing, but the city is looking into potential solutions.
"For instance, actually renting apartments and housing for employees," says Mills. "There is another municipality that has looked into actually contracting a company that builds workforce housing and then manages it, and of course giving stipends is another option."
Chief Banks says the department will begin recruiting cadets for the 2024 summer season in Rehoboth beach at the end of September.