GEORGETOWN, Del. - Georgetown Police Chief Ralph Holm Jr. gave a presentation during a recent Town Council meeting showing the police department handled more calls for service and recorded more reported cases between May 26 and July 19 than during the same reporting period in 2025.
The presentation showed reported cases increased from 1,157 during the same reporting period in 2025 to 1,360 in 2026. Calls for service also increased from 1,438 to 1,878, an increase of 440 calls. The year-to-date total declined from 5,896 calls to 5,541.
According to the presentation, assaults increased from 59 to 79, fugitives apprehended increased from 56 to 61, crashes increased from 108 to 115, and DUI arrests increased from 11 to 27.
"I would attribute that to the increased numbers on patrol," Holm said when discussing the increase in DUI arrests.
Lt. Joel Díaz, deputy chief of the Georgetown Police Department, also commented on the statistics.
"Our officers are doing a lot of self-initiated patrolling through the town, which generally is going to increase DUIs. Some of the DUIs that we've had have stemmed from traffic accidents or crashes, but the majority of what we're seeing right now are self-generated calls or calls for DUI," Díaz said.
He also said calls for service are increasing because the department has more officers on staff.
"There's going to be some self-driven calls that are going to increase those numbers, but again, we have 5 or 6 officers on at a time, and a 12-hour shift is naturally going to increase the amount of complaints," Díaz explained.
Patrolman Payton Rose said he has noticed Georgetown's growth.
"I can tell that the community is growing; you can tell by the traffic and all the different people you see every day," Rose said. "I think to me gives me a sense of pride and service to be able to serve my community and just make sure that those people are safe."
John W. Baker, who has lived in Georgetown for nearly his entire life, shared his perspective.
"I feel pretty safe because we do have law enforcement. If you call them, they're going to come," Baker said.
Mary Jane Decker, who visits Georgetown, also commented on the town's growth.
"My thought is this place in Sussex County is so overgrown with growth that you're going to have more incidences," Decker said.
Díaz said he expects calls for service to increase as Georgetown continues to grow. He added that, with the new police department under construction, the department hopes to eventually increase its police force.
