REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- The Rehoboth Beach Police Department is struggling to fill its spots for seasonal officers.
The City of Rehoboth Beach budgets for 26 seasonal officers to help tackle minor crime and general safety in downtown Rehoboth Beach. This season, the department was only able to fill 13 spots.Â
Police Chief Keith Banks said lack of affordable housing is one of the factors that makes it hard to hire.Â
"[The officers] who we hire are mostly college students. They're paying college tuition," he said. "They're coming in here for a summer internship, and they're not making a lot of money. The housing is so competitive down here."
The department has been working to entice employees with things like housing stipends and competitive pay, but it hasn't been enough. Chief Banks said he is working with the city to come up with more options for workforce housing.
Chief Banks said he will begin the hiring process for next season in September, and he hopes they can fill all the spots this year.
