Borough leaders in Collingdale are opening up the application process as they work to hire more police officers after being short staffed for over two years. NBC10’s Shaira Arias reports.
It seems to be a never-ending issue as the staffing crisis at a Delaware County police department continues for well over two years.
The borough manager for Collingdale blames resignations and retirements of officers for the sudden losses in the staffing at the department.
One year ago, the Collingdale Borough Police Department had 16 assigned officers, according to city leaders. Now, they are down to three.
This has made for major safety concerns among residents.
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A civil service meeting was held on Thursday, March 13 to address the ongoing shortage in the department and the commission approved to open the civil service application process for 30 days in order to hire more potential officers.
This means, that during the 30 day time period, the borough will be allowing those interested in joining the force to apply.
The meeting comes two months after former police officer Kevon Darden was sworn in before resigning less than a week later when he was charged in an alleged road rage incident that happened nearly two years ago.
Back in October of 2024, the mayor of Collingdale requested help with overnight patrol from the Pennsylvania State Police which the department is still relying on while they are understaffed.
One resident, Fatima Lane, told NBC10 she is not frustrated with the process but rather more with the borough itself.
"I am more concerned about a disruptive behavior of our council at this time I want it to stop," Lane said.
The Collingdale Police Department is expecting to swear in four new full-time officers on Tuesday, March 18 which will mean the department will have nine officers in total.
If you are interested in applying to become an officer in Collingdale, visit the borough's website.
