Policing, Crime, and Rising Electricity Costs Highlight Community Discussion

Last night, over 65 people joined State Rep. Bryan Shupe and Milford Chief of Police Cecilia Ashe for a community meeting on public safety.

Here are some of the highlights of the event hosted by the Milford Police Department:

• Chief Ashe was sworn in as Milford's Chief of Police two years ago (February 2023). She previously served 17 years as the inspector of operations in the Wilmington Police Department. She has 29 years of law enforcement experience, including tenure as a police officer in Arlington County, Virginia. 

• The Milford PD is currently undertaking a study to evaluate available resources, expected future demands, and best allocation. Such studies are typically conducted every 3 to 5 years. The department has an authorized strength of 37 officers and currently has one vacancy.

• Chief Ashe says her agency has hired a data analyst, and the department is leveraging technology to track crimes, spot trends, and make data-based decisions. "We're building a system to map where every crime occurs in this city." She says the goal is to make the information accessible online, increasing public transparency and awareness.

• The chief says the majority of calls received by the MPD are traffic-related. Residents can report traffic concerns using the My Milford app (available via the Apple App Store or Google Play), and the department will quickly evaluate and respond. The app can also be used to report illegal dumping, disclose the presence of discarded drug paraphrenia, and make other reports to city officials. For more information on the My Milford app, use this link: https://www.cityofmilford.com/535/MyMilford#

• The MPD will work with downtown businesses to extend their evening hours. If there is interest, the chief says the agency will increase patrols in the district to facilitate it. "That is how you drive [increased city] revenue through business development," she told the crowd.

• The chief says they are making an effort to get officers out of their patrol vehicles and increase interactions with the public to build better relationships and improve cooperation.

• The chief says immigration laws are federal statutes and outside the typical purview of her agency. She says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not need the city's permission to conduct operations in Milford, and her agency has no issue cooperating with federal officials. She said ICE agents operating in Delaware are typically focused on illegal immigrants who are known criminals and pose a clear threat to public safety.

• Chief Ashe says Milford has the third-highest rate of drug overdoses in the state and that the MPD is working to reduce illicit substance abuse. She says cracking down on local dealers will be part of the agency's approach. The chief indicated that if state prosecutors do not pursue cases against arrested dealers, she will seek help from the FBI and DEA to pursue the cases federally.

• The chief says China has been facilitating the flow of illicit drugs (meth, fentanyl, heroin, etc.) into the U.S. by selling the needed precursor chemicals to Mexican drug cartels, who are manufacturing and shipping the products north across the border. For more information, use this link: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10400

• Panhandling laws in Delaware have been ruled unconstitutional. Rep. Shupe, Chief Ashe, and the Delaware Attorney General's Office have been working to craft new statutes that would appropriately restrict the activity and protect motorists and those engaging in it.

• Rep. Shupe briefed the crowd on his legislative initiatives, including a bill he sponsored earlier this year to create a new funding mechanism allowing every public school to hire a school resource officer or constable. He said that while he was disappointed the House Education Committee refused to allow the bill to advance, he is currently revising the measure and getting the Controller General's Office to issue another fiscal note that more accurately reflects the proposal's cost.

• Rep. Shupe said he is working with other legislators to propose hiring a performance officer to provide legislative budget writers with feedback on how well state agencies meet their performance metrics. The new position could provide invaluable intelligence to state lawmakers crafting the operating budget, allowing them to make better decisions and potentially saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually.

• Rising energy costs, specifically the electricity bills of Delmarva Power customers, were discussed at length. Rep. Shupe said the issue is multi-faceted, but state policies are significantly increasing energy costs. He indicated mandates on the use of renewable energy, the state's participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the retirement of fossil fuel generators, and the lack of local generation capacity have all decreased electricity supply in the face of increasing demand, resulting in higher prices. He added that these decisions have made Delaware a net importer of electricity, adding significant distribution charges to ratepayers' bills.

Tomorrow's Planned Food Assistance Event will not Take Place as Scheduled



The Mass Drive-Thru Food Pantry, initially scheduled for tomorrow (February 22) at 9 AM, has been postponed.

The Food Bank of Delaware has rescheduled the event for Friday, March 28.

For other food resources in the community, please visit www.fbd.org/get-help

Backyard Chicken Flock Owners Urged to be Vigilant

The Delaware Department of Agriculture recently announced that a backyard flock in Sussex County is believed to have contracted H5 avian influenza.

Delaware backyard flock owners who notice any of the signs of HPAI in their flock should email the Delaware Poultry Health Hotline at poultry.health@delaware.gov or call 302-698-4507 and provide your contact information, size of flock, location, and concerns.

Dead birds or sick birds should not be taken to a lab to be tested or moved offsite. DDA will contact you if a sample needs to be taken.