Dewey Beach police report: June arrests, July 4 weekend incidents and a July 3 Reed Avenue stabbing

A Dewey Beach police lieutenant briefed commissioners July 17 on June public-safety statistics and notable July holiday incidents.

The lieutenant reported 682 calls for service in June, 62 arrests (373 total charges), 171 traffic citations, 18 accidents, 102 civil citations and seven DUI arrests. He attributed part of the monthly fluctuation to temporary staffing shortages in June and said staffing had returned to full strength.

For the July 4 weekend the department recorded 196 calls for service, 54 traffic stops, 33 traffic summonses, 16 individuals arrested and multiple civil violations (including public urination and underage alcohol violations). The department noted a July 3 stabbing on Reed Avenue described as domestic-related; officers executed search warrants and made an arrest, and the victim was reported to be recovering.

The lieutenant also described a July 10 disorderly crowd linked to an incident at Paradise Grill that led to multiple pepper-spray deployments and several arrests; officers later supported community events such as the red, white and blue bike parade with no major incident reported there.

No specific policy or ordinance changes were announced; commissioners thanked the department for its work and suggested minor crowd-control refinements for future events.