OCEAN CITY – With a challenging portion of the summer season approaching, the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office is preparing to move into satellite offices in Ocean City.
In April, the Mayor and Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) for satellite office space in the District Court building as part of the larger Public Safety Building complex at 65th Street. With the calendar nearing June, the SAO is anticipating a significant spike in its workload when the Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) begins implementing its new body-worn camera system, a process that is already underway.
To that end, Worcester County State’s Attorney Kris Heiser this spring requested and received additional space in the District Court building at 65th Street for prosecutors and her staff to handle the expected workload in cases generated in Ocean City, particularly in processing hours and hours of video footage generated from the new body camera system.
“The Town of Ocean City was very accommodating with the office space within the courthouse,” said Heiser this week. “They have already painted and replaced carpet and gotten it ready for our occupancy. County maintenance still has to make some changes to the office access to ensure it is safe, and once those changes are complete, we will be relocating some staff there.”
The SAO is based in the county seat in Snow Hill, and that has not changed. With cellphones and email and other technological advances, the geography of having the SAO a half an hour or so from the area that generates the most criminal incidents is generally not a problem, but having the SAO satellite office in Ocean City, especially during the summer months, will likely prove to be a bonus for county prosecutors and their law enforcement partners, according to Heiser.
“I am planning to have a prosecutor working there during evening hours at least two days a week at that location, so that evening shift officers can meet to discuss cases or ask questions as needed,” Heiser said.
In February, the Worcester County Commissioners approved the SAO plan to hire six more prosecutors and six legal assistants to help cover the anticipated workload increase related to the OCPD’s new body-worn camera system. Heiser said her office has been successful in hiring some of the additional staff needed for the expected workload increase, but is still seeking more. Heiser also said she has been working with the District Court system to schedule trials and court proceedings that will allow her team more time to process body-worn camera footage and better prepare to adjudicate cases.
“Since Ocean City is still planning to start using the body cameras immediately, and I haven’t been able to hire all of the additional attorneys that I need yet, I also worked with the district court to alter the way they schedule cases, which will allow my current staff more time in the office that they will spend reviewing video,” she said.
Heiser said she believes her office is well prepared for the changes, including the new satellite office space in Ocean City.
“I feel confident that I have done everything possible to best prepare to handle the volume of video, and I am still hopeful that I will be able to attract attorneys for the three remaining openings ahead of the summer season,” she said. “We are all working hard and hoping for the best this summer.”
