Editor’s note: The following letter was also sent to Dover’s mayor, City Council members and police chief.
Good morning, all, and happy Independence Day! I have been receiving emails and phone calls about the recent shooting on New Street from press and community members because I have been in the fight for residents’ safety since my return to Dover. I will give this response:
The police response time reported in this matter was less than a minute, if I’m not mistaken, and you couldn’t get any better that that.
My constant fight with the city of Dover regarding public safety started back in 2019, before I became a part of the NAACP. Although I have since resigned from that organization, I still am an activist within the community who citizens trust, respect and believe in.
I have never spoken in favor of an organization, employer or individual if I feel their intentions are wrong or will have a negative impact on human beings. If I feel a subject matter is not being handled properly and you’re wrong, then I will call you on it.
I am in support of the chief and city when they are doing the right things to address residents’ concerns. In my personal opinion, the chief and the city are doing their best. Now, we need the help of community members and business owners, who should become educated on how to partner with the police to monitor their own neighborhoods, while maintaining safety.
A Dover police substation, called the Community Response Unit, launched June 23. The chief is right: His department does need to start somewhere, and it has. The department also needs to make sure the officers assigned to this unit are prepared and that they get acclimated to this form of policing for their safety, as well as that of residents. The chief promised to get the unit in those critical areas during what I call prime-time crime hours once the data is collected and distributed.
City Council, Chief Tom Johnson and the mayor went against their budget and stepped up to the call for residents’ and businesses’ safety by launching the mobile substation, as well as instituting the body cameras that citizens began pushing for back in May 2020.
They are listening and acting on concerns, and when they don’t listen, that’s when you will hear my voice. Right now, I’m radio silent because they are actively working on residents’ safety!
Dover residents need to understand that this is not the time to beat the police department down. It’s time to join officers in the fight. Citizens have to help with policing their own neighborhoods.
We called for meetings when the city wasn’t listening to the voices of the residents. We may have to put together some workshops for citizens and business owners to teach them how to safely and properly assist police in their communities!
Lachelle D. Paul
Dover
