Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Police Department Rebuilds After Being Decimated By Severe Staffing Shortage

December 18, 2025

After months of operating with a critically low number of officers, the Collingdale Police Department in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, is turning a corner. The department said it has more than tripled its force and is expanding services to better protect the community.

Just last year, the department was down to only three officers, prompting Mayor Donna Matteo-Spadea to request assistance from Pennsylvania State Police to cover overnight patrols. Today, the department has 11 full-time officers on the job.

“I feel accomplished,” Collingdale Police Chief Shanee Mitchell said. “Of course, we had a lot of naysayers. So it was like, ‘Oh, you’re not going to get this done, you know, within a year or so.’ And we got it done in less than a year.”