Special Legislative, Finance and Administration Packet

CITY OF DOVER, DELAWARE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING - DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM City Hall Council Chambers, 15 Loockerman Plaza, Dover, Delaware AGENDA Public comments are welcomed on any item and will be permitted at the appropriate time. When possible, please notify the City Clerk (302-736-7008 or email at cityclerk@dover.de.us) should you wish to be recognized. VIRTUAL MEETING NOTICE This meeting will be held in City Hall Council Chambers with electronic access via WebEx. Public participation information is as follows: Dial: 1-650-479-3208 Link: https://shorturl.at/r9z1v Event number: 2532 995 7220 Event password: DOVER (if needed) If you are new to WebEx, get the app now at https://www.webex.com/ to be ready when the meeting starts. CALL THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION MEETING TO ORDER ADOPTION OF AGENDA 1. Topic Introduction (Chairman Anderson and Councilman Boggerty) 2. Opening Remarks by Mayor Christiansen 3. Overview (David S. Hugg, III, City Manager) 4. Vision 2030 of the Dover Police Department (Chief Johnson and Staff) (This item is informational, and committee action is not required) 5. Council Discussion and Remarks 1

SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING - DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP - January 22, 2026 PAGE 2 6. Public Comment ADJOURNMENT OF THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE MEETING THE AGENDA ITEMS AS LISTED MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED IN SEQUENCE. PURSUANT TO 29 DEL. C. §10004(e)(2), THIS AGENDA IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OR THE DELETION OF ITEMS, INCLUDING EXECUTIVE SESSIONS, WHICH ARISE AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING 2

Item 2. THE DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT Strategic Vision: 2030 Thursday, January 22, 2026 - 5:00 p.m. Mayor Robin R. Christiansen City Manager David Hugg Chief Thomas Johnson, Jr. 3

Item 2. What will the Dover PD look like in 2030? Workshop Timeline • 5:00 Opening Remarks by Mayor Christiansen • 5:05 Opening Remarks by City Manager Hugg • 5:10 Overview of the DPD by Chief Johnson • 5:30 Review of Data Tables by Mr. Hugg • 5:45 Current/Future challenges regarding workload ratio and resources • 6:45 Mr. Hugg outlines the need for input from City Council • 7:00 Question and Answer period 4

Item 2. Opening Remarks Mayor Christiansen City Manager Hugg 5

Focus Item 3. • Identify Needs and Set Goals • Not a Budget Hearing • Not specifically about people, vehicles, technology, etc. • About Vision • About Tough Choices • 2030? 6

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department Resource Allocation Personnel Infrastructure Public Safety Demands Administrative Demands Workload Assessment 7

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department 21st Century Changes Inter-Agency cooperation across regions/nation Homeland Security considerations Data + Analysis = Decision* Additional involvement Social/Societal problems Incorporation of Technology Liaison roles with stakeholder groups Ongoing battle for trust & legitimacy [* Presuming the decision is compliant with regulation and reflective of best practices] 8

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department Resource Allocation Executive Team: Chief’s Office 3 Divisions- each managed by a Captain Operations / Administration / Professional Standards ~30 Organizational Units / Sections / Functions Sworn & Civilian Managers / Specialists 9

Overview of the Dover Police Department Item 4. Resource Allocation 153 total team members: 145 Full Time / 8 Part Time Allocation Decisions Compliance / Data / Workload / “Best Practices” Deputy Chief makes recommendations [Staff input] Chief makes final determinations* 10

Sworn Personnel Item 4.  The “Separated” column could indicate quitting the academy or the profession, termination or switching agencies  The 2020 COPS Grant was a recognition of Crime Data, Workload, and a desire for increased community engagement  The 2022 COPS Grant was an attempt to defray the cost of establishing a “Downtown” Unit  Additional time and financial resources have been needed to handle attrition and make slow progress toward our goals  In normal circumstances, roughly 5% of the authorized strength is in a state of turnover. 11  In normal circumstances, filling a vacancy takes more than a year. [Advertise – Hiring Process – Academy – Field Training]

Non-sworn Personnel Item 4. [F]Year Full Time Part Time Changes/Details 2020 33 6 2 Vacancies 2021 33 6 3 Vacancies [1PT] 2022 34 + E Tech 6 6 Vacancies [5PT] 2023 35 + 2ECO - 1CSC 6 11 Vacancies [5PT] 2024 35 7 + 1GVI 8 Vacancies [5PT] 2025 36 + 1CFP 8 + 1VS 6 Vacancies [3PT] 2026 38 + 1ECO & 1RC 8 5 Vacancies [4PT] 2027* 39 + 1ECO 8 TBD *Pending the official endorsement of the CM and Council Approval 12

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department Infrastructure Headquarters Building / Surrounding Campus Public Safety Answering Point - Holding Facility IT: 200 Digital Devices / Servers Vehicles: +/- 100 VINs (trailers) Equipment: PPE / Forensic / Office 13

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department Public Safety Demands Traffic Safety & Collision Investigation Crime Prevention & Community Engagement Hostile Threat: Assessment / Prevention / Response Patrol Procedures: Proactive / Reactive Investigative Process: Proactive / Reactive Extra Duty: Private Sector / Large Scale Events 14

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department Administrative Demands Training / Education / Credentialing: Mandated / Required / Preferred Accreditation: Proofs / Inspections / Compliance / Best Practices Documentation: Mandatory Reporting / Preservation / Recovery 15

Item 4. Overview of the Dover Police Department Administrative Demands Equipment Maintenance: Calibrations / Repairs / Cleaning Policy: Adoption / Review / Revision / Compliance Functions Processes: Hiring / Promotion / Evaluations / Disciplinary Budget: Development / Execution / Modifications & Grant Programs 16

Overview of the Dover Police Department Item 4. Workload Assessment General Overview of Obligated vs. Unobligated Time determinations Factors that that influence Obligated Time / Ability to control them Measuring and Analyzing data, and data variants, for resource allocation Evaluating established missions for continued relevance and adjustments Largely informs the Strategic Planning process Identifies organizational strengths / weaknesses / vulnerabilities 17

Tough Choices Item 4. Public confidence Costs keep rising and trust strained driven by competition accountability and and technology transparency crucial limited ability to avoid driving changes in policy and practice Incremental action Social, cultural and Clientele doesn’t work economic factors getting younger and older largely reactive beyond public safety scope at each end of the spectrum (add one here, one there) but affecting service much more diverse never catch up operating outside the impacts interactions with or get ahead comfort zone public hard to be proactive 18

Even more Tough Choices Item 4. • Technology , costly but essential, driving data, skills, and ethics • Evolving crime trends – cyber, gun violence, terrorism, safety • Community-centric policing – balancing collaboration versus enforcement • Affordability concerns • Building capacity and skills in a digital world • Revenue constraints, opposition, sources 19

Item 4. Relevant Data sets/tables: Population 2010 36,047 2010-2020 Up 6.2% (about 0.06%/year) 2020 38,306 2020-2024 Up 4.6% (about 1.2%/year) 2024 40,085 2024-2030* Up 4.2% (about 1.7%/year) 2030* 41,769 * Forecasted: 281 people / about 90 new families per year. 20

Relevant Data sets/tables: Taxes Item 4. Fiscal Year Tax Rates Taxable Assessed Values 2020 0.4400 $3,273,992,600 2021 0.4050 $3,517,265,100 2022 0.4150 $3,524,870,700 2023 0.4350 $3,555,093,900 2024 0.4550 $3,588,909,840 2025 0.4550 $3,620,834,640 2026 0.4550 $3,637,963,185 2027* 0.4550* $3,663,000,000* (*Projection based on 2024-26 average) Note: Taxable assessed values account for 70%-72% of total. Moderate growth in taxable assessed values limit revenue opportunities. 21

Size of the City and Street Mileage Item 4. • Annexations • City land area limited by external development – “bounded city” • Recent annexations mostly enclaves of limited size • Growth to east limited by state policy • City/State Maintained Street Mileage* • Total city-maintained mileage – 113.1 miles • Total state-maintained streets within city – 61 miles +/- • Large future developments will add new city-maintained streets *DPD has primary enforcement on all streets except SR 1 within city 22

Relevant Data sets/tables: City Budget Item 4. Year City Budget (all funds) General Fund Percent • FY 2022 165,284,600.00 52,375,900.00 32% • FY 2023 215,319,300.00 56,084,300.00 26% • FY 2024 203,394,300.00 59,263,600.00 29% • FY 2025 226,173,900.00 61,951,800.00 27% • FY 2026 249,482,400.00 64,760,800.00 26% Key: Without enterprise funds and grants the city could not cover its costs without significant tax and fee increases. 23

Relevant Data sets/tables: Police Budget Item 4. Year Total Budget Personnel CIP Line Adjust FY20 $18.603 mil. $16.735 mil. $753,900 $1.114 mil. FY21 $19.399 mil. $17.424 mil. $912,400 $1.062 mil. 4.28% FY22 $19.809 mil. $17.996 mil. $711,300 $1.132 mil. 2.12% FY23 $20.546 mil. $18.214 mil. $894,200 $1.438 mil. 3.72% FY24 $23.276 mil. $20.409 mil. $1.321 mil. $1.547 mil. 13.29% FY25 $24.954 mil. $21.926 mil. $1.488 mil. $1.541 mil. 7.21% FY26 $26.836 mil. $24.004 mil. $1.176 mil. $1.656 mil. 3.95% FY27* $27.664 mil. $24.415 mil. $1.462 mil. $1.786 mil. ~3.08% *Preliminary data contingent upon the FOP CBA & other budget decisions 24

Workload and Resource Allocation Item 4. Organizational Units Communications Patrol Police Records Detective Victim Services DVOC Property / Evidence Youth [SRO] Parking Enforcement Street Crimes [PP] Sex Offender Motorcycle Information Technology Community Policing Cadets Behavioral Health 25

Workload and Resource Allocation Item 4. Organizational Functions Accreditation Firearms Instruction/Armorer Animal Control Internal Affairs Crime Analysis Planning Maintenance Training Finance Accident Reconstruction Facility Dog SORT [SWAT] Public Information Crisis [Hostage] Negotiations Police Athletic League Fleet Management 26

Workload and Resource Allocation Item 4. Looking at Volume Nearly 93,000 Emergency and Administrative Calls in the ECC Over 1,500 Flock Activations leading to a police response Over 13,000 hours of sworn and civilian training Nearly 48,000 service calls involving a police response Over 165,000 trackable hours of productivity Nearly 7,300 traffic enforcement actions 27

Workload and Resource Allocation Item 4. Operational Police Missions 5 Lieutenants for middle management functions 15 Investigative Officers – Criminal / DVOC 10 Community Policing Officers – PAL / BHU / Academy 14 Proactive Uniform Officers – SRO / Motors / Street Crimes 4 Administrative Officers – PIO / Planning / Training / Armorer 48-56 Patrol Officers – Working / Recruits / Vacancies 28

Workload and Resource Allocation Item 4. Workload Assessment Implications 5 Lieutenants for middle management functions 15 Investigative Officers – Criminal / DVOC 10 Community Policing Officers – PAL / BHU / Academy 14 Proactive Uniform Officers – SRO / Motors / Street Crimes 4 Administrative Officers – PIO / Planning / Training / Armorer 48-56 Patrol Officers – Working / Recruits / Vacancies 29

Workload Assessment Item 4. Patrol Unit Driven by the 911 System and other sources of Calls for Service Like 911 System, must be staffed 24/7/365 – Volume / Safety General Overview of Obligated vs. Unobligated Time Formulas 2020 – 2023 reviewed in 2024, Reported in early 2025 Steady increase in Patrol need suddenly spiked in 2023 Spike confirmed with immediate review of 2024 numbers Assessment confirmed by Northwestern University SME 30

Workload Assessment Item 4. Patrol Unit Four Platoons - Average of 12 Officers each on 12 hour schedules Instrument - IACP Modified Workload Analysis 30% Administrative Activity 30% Operational Activity 30% Unobligated* Time 10% Employee Activity *Unobligated = Proactive Patrol 31

Workload Assessment – Step 1 Item 4. Patrol Unit Calls for Service (CFS) Citizen & Officer generated CFS Source – 911 Dispatch System 32

Workload Assessment – Step 2 Item 4. Patrol Unit CFS – 2 or more Officers *2020 Example: 48% or 12,941 of 27,026 calls were Priority 1 or 2. Therefore; 27,026 x 0.48 = 12,972 then 27,026 + 12,972 = 39,998 Adjusted Calls 33

Workload Assessment – Step 3 Item 4. Patrol Unit CFS – Total Time of ACFS Source – 911 Dispatch System 34

Workload Assessment – Step 4 Item 4. Patrol Unit CFS – Total Time – Operational Activity Employee Activity is flexed out of the formula. Leaving; 33% Administrative Time 33% Unobligated / Proactive Time 33% Obligated / Operational Time 35

Workload Assessment – Step 5 Item 4. Patrol Unit – Total Time – Officer Availability Total Annual Hours Scheduled -Subtract Vacation/Sick/Comp -Subtract Training/FMLA/Admin. -Subtract All other leave codes =Equals Operational Hours 36

Workload Assessment – Step 6 Item 4. Patrol Unit – Total Officers Needed Divide the Step 4 Results by the Step 5 Results 37

Workload Assessment – Final Thoughts Item 4. Patrol Unit Shift Relief Factor Calculations – 2.49 FTE Supervisors are doing patrol work to keep up with volume Administrative burden for Patrol Officers [increasing] Average time on each CFS in 2023 [increasing] 2024 and preliminary 2025 numbers mirror 2023 38

Workload Assessment – Final Thoughts Item 4. Agency-wide Commitment to a balanced police mission for Dover Adequate Staffing for Mission Success Attractive Working Conditions Leveraging Emerging Technologies Interest and Understanding 39

What are we asking for? Item 4. • Clear and Strategic Council Commitment • Authority to hire - complete with logistics • Consensus on a balanced approach • Staffing and Emerging Technologies • Address violent crime and minor offenses • Enforcement and Alternative Solutions • Enforcement and Education • The benefit of the doubt • Communication Strategy • Help with Public Safety issues in Leg Hall 40

Item 4. THE DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT Strategic Vision: 2030 41