Dover hosts town hall meeting on drug use and safety for local businesses

Dover city officials held a business town hall meeting Wednesday to discuss safety, drug use and prostitution around local businesses along Route 13.

Dover Police Chief Thomas Johnson said he is working with other city departments and local nonprofits on a comprehensive plan to improve law enforcement capacity.

Participants asked several questions about how local law enforcement can address prostitution and drug use near their businesses.

Chief Johnson said that minor offenses often go unprosecuted or that law enforcement and gubernatorial candidates do not encourage the prosecution of such offenses.

“They have no interest in having cops arrest poor people unless there's a really, really, really, really good reason,” Johnson said.

However, City Councilman Roy Sudler Jr. said these problems often impact public health.

“We need someone to prosecute these lesser offenses so we can clean up the capital city that represents not only Delaware itself but the state of Delaware,” Sudler said.

Some participants suggested creating and promoting a local rehabilitation facility or other support systems.

Another solution, Sudler said, could be to hire more police and form task forces. But first, he wants the discussion in Dover to be open to a wider audience, including the homeless and those suffering from addiction.

“As long as everyone is not sitting at the table, the conversation will be one-sided. And therefore the solution will also be one-sided,” said Sudler. “You will not get the result you want, namely a collective, grassroots democratic effort to solve a social problem.”