OCPD stats show 911 hang ups way up from years past

By Hunter Hine Staff Writer

(Aug. 18, 2023) Emergency calls to Ocean City’s 911 center that ended in hang-ups were up significantly in July, Emergency Services Director Joe Theobald reported to the Ocean City Police Commission on Monday. He said resort police experienced 503 more 911 calls that ended in hang-ups than were received in July last year.

The emergency call center handled 1,272 hangs-ups in July, as compared to the 769 hang-ups in July 2022 and 653 in July 2021, according to monthly statistics presented at Monday’s session.

“If you even look for the last two years, technology has improved on phones. The SOS feature, people can set it, if they fall, to dial 911,” Theobald said. “The majority of it we handle internally, but that’s technology. We have to respond to the call, if we get it, and follow up on it.”

Citizen calls to service were up by 502 over last year, with 3,588 in July 2023, 3,086 in July 2022 and 3,201 in July 2021. Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said that minus the increase in 911 hang-ups, citizen calls for service were almost the same as last year.

Officer calls for service were down by more than a thousand in July at 3,681, while it was 4,789 last year and 5,036 the year before.

Total calls for service, which includes both officer and citizen calls, were 7,269 in July, down from 7,875 in July last year and 8,237 in July 2021.

These totals exclude business checks as well as traffic stops and assists to citizens calls. The latter two were included in the top 25 calls for service for the OCPD.

Police traffic stops increased to 1,096 in July 2023 from 922 in July 2022 and 782 in July 2021.

Calls to assist the fire department and emergency services have steadily risen since July 2021, which had 284. In July 2022, 329 calls came in, and there were 394 this year.

“That’s a number we’re going to keep an eye on,” Buzzuro said in reference to the assist fire and EMS statistics.

Buzzuro said most of the top 25 calls for service show decreases.

City ordinance violations dropped from 1,348 in July 2022 to 527 in July 2023. There were 1,351 in July 2021.

Police had 754 calls to assist a citizen or motorist in July this year, while there were 955 last year and 830 the year prior.

Parking complaints and violations also went down to 664 this year compared to 757 in July 2022 and 899 in July 2021.

Domestic assaults and disputes dropped to 86 in July 2023 from 106 in July 2022. July last year was nearly the same as July 2021.

Noise complaints and violations were almost halved compared to 2021, Buzzuro said. July 2023 had 75 calls, while July 2021 had 147 and July 2022 had 103 calls.

Controlled dangerous substance violations were at 22 this year, down from 139 last year and 95 in July 2021.

Warrant service attempts and arrests were also down, with 16 in July 2023, 33 in July 2022 and 69 in the year prior.

Police enforcement in July was also generally down compared to years past.

See POLICE Page 22