The borough of Collingdale in Delaware County is currently grappling with a severe police officer shortage, prompting the municipality to request assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police. According to Mayor Donna Matteo Spadea in a letter, the understaffed local police force will be supplemented by state troopers starting midnight on Friday, as revealed in a FOX 29 report. Mayor Matteo Spadea indicated that Collingdale's police department is down to just eight officers and two detectives post another officer's resignation, a stark decline from the over 25 officers it once had.
The move to call in State Police comes amidst deep division within the Borough Council over the police department’s future, including the hiring of new police chief Shanee Mitchell. Borough Councilperson Felicia Coffee expressed the community's concern to FOX 29, stating, "That’s unheard of in Collingdale. To not have enough police to secure our community." Collingdale residents have been advised that in case of an emergency, they should still call 911, with the State Police committed to providing overnight coverage until the department’s staffing levels return to acceptable levels, a process which officials say could take months.
Even amid these adjustments, Council President Ryan Hastings questions the motivation behind the mayor's decision. In a letter posted on his Facebook page, Hastings labeled the move "politically motivated" and critiqued the necessity of involving state police as "no emergencies have been declared." Despite the scarcity of officers, the Borough has opened its hiring process for new full-time police officers, as reported in FOX 29.
On the ground, concerned residents like Shannon Murphy are feeling the strain of the reduced police presence. "It’s terrifying. We have children walking to school in the morning my child leave before 8 a.m. so God forbid there is an emergency on the street," Murphy told FOX 29, voicing the fear and readiness to sell her house, albeit concerned about the likelihood of finding a buyer under the current circumstances. Meanwhile, residents are told to maintain direct lines to emergency services, and State Police will continue to respond to calls from midnight through the early morning each day.
For Collingdale residents accustomed to the quicker response times of local police, the interim period could bring heightened anxiety. Collingdale resident Gina Moultrie, recalling a past incident with paramedics having arrived before the police, emphasized by Delaware County FOP President Chris Eiserman's comment that "State police, we work well with them, but they're not a substitute for local law enforcement. Their response times for the normal patrol zones could be 30 to 40 minutes. So residents could be put in jeopardy," as per CBS Philadelphia. As Collingdale enters a new temporary policing era, the focus remains on the safety and well-being of its residents awaiting a return to a fully staffed police department.
