After more than year, the Newark Police Department in Wayne County is returning to 24-hour staffing.

Since July 2023, the department had been operating for only 20 hours a day because of staffing shortages.

As of this week, however, the department is once again providing 24-hour coverage to the village.

Since cutting back, leaders say they've had seven officers finish the police academy and had one experienced officer transfer to Newark.

“We are thrilled to have our Police Department returning to 24-hour coverage in the village," Mayor Jonathan Taylor said in a statement. "We are thankful for the long hours our officers worked, their dedication, and their commitment to our community. We would also like to thank their families as we worked through our challenges over the last 16 months. Thank you to Chief Martin for his incredible leadership, which allowed us to build our department through the nationwide police staffing crisis. In addition, we are looking forward to having seven new officers on our force that are already playing an integral role in providing public safety today and for years to come.”

Officials say this will allow them to be more proactive in addressing quality-of-life issues in the village.