JOSH DAVIS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Ocean Pines Police Chief David Massey and other association department heads last Friday address the board of directors during a daylong orientation meeting in the community center.

By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(Aug. 30, 2018) Ocean Pines Police Chief David Massey on Friday took the occasion of a meet-and-greet with the new board of directors to ask them to fulfill an old promise – the expansion of police headquarters, a project that was green lit more than a year ago.

Plans to enlarge police facilities, which share space in the administration building on 239 Ocean Parkway, were discussed by a previous board in conjunction with country club renovations.

Massey said he’d been with Ocean Pines for 15 years and also served in Ocean City for 28 years, including a dozen as the resort’s chief of police.

He said Ocean Pines, unlike Ocean City, was not rampant with public disorder crime.

“We deal with family issues,” he said. “We deal with domestic violence. We deal with child abuse. We deal with drugs. We deal with everything. The good news is that our violent crime rate is low.”

Working closely with Maryland State Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, he said, enabled Ocean Pines Police to “work with less per thousand.”

“In other words, the national average is two officers per thousand population. We do about 1.44,” Massey said.

He said the department handles about 12,000 calls each year, the majority of which were “family issues.”

“When pop-pop falls out of bed, they call the police. When little Billy doesn’t want to go to school, they call the police,” Massey said. “We do community policing and that’s the nature of our job. We provide a higher level of service than many police departments do – and that’s great. That’s an advantage to living here. We’re one of the safest communities in the United States.”

He said the department currently includes 16 officers and one part-time employee.

“We’re working out of a facility that was designed for six, so I know this is my chance to pitch it – and I’m going to take it!” Massey said with a laugh. “Please, as a recommendation on the administrative building, we are critically stuffed into this building.

“I know it’s something you’re going to consider. I would only ask you to please, please consider it,” he added.

Also present during the meet-and-greet portion of an orientation meeting in the community center on Friday were Ocean Pines’ Marketing and Public Relations Director Denise Sawyer, Finance Director Steve Phillips, Golf Director John Malinowski, Facilities Manager Kevin Layfield, IT Manager Patrick Cashman, and Public Works and Compliance, Permit and Inspections Director Eddie Wells.

Colby Phillips – no relation to Steve Phillips – also oversees operations for association recreation and parks, racquet sports, the marinas, and beach club parking.