PRESS RELEASE: Thursday, September 23, 2021
CONTACT: Morgan Keller, Communications Director, ACLU-DE, mkeller@aclu-de.org
ACLU of Delaware Calls for Public Comment at Upcoming Sessions on LEOBOR Reform Bill
WILMINGTON—Senator Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman will kick off a series of public sessions to gather input from stakeholders and community members on Senate Bill 149, the LEOBOR reform bill, starting this Friday, September 24, at 3 p.m. The ACLU of Delaware is calling on members of the public to submit public comment in support of the bill at the upcoming sessions.
Senate Bill 149, sponsored by Senator Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman and Representative Kendra Johnson, aims to amend the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights (LEOBOR) to increase transparency and accountability. The bill would make police disciplinary records public and enable the creation of community oversight boards with the power to hear and decide police disciplinary matters — measures that Delawareans overwhelmingly support.
“Elected officials must hear loud and clear from our community that we need police reform now,” said Haneef Salaam, manager of ACLU-DE’s Campaign for Smart Justice. “SB 149, the LEOBOR reform bill, needs to move ahead — without any amendments — so that communities can have transparency and accountability from the police departments who serve them.”
ACLU-DE invites Delawareans from all counties to attend the upcoming virtual events and make a public comment in support of SB 149. The organization has created a public comment toolkit to help people craft their own public comments, available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ewKL1pdy789XH9IHZCfheYmorT7Uwe3U_r4-ZzJP_84/edit?usp=sharing.
The session dates and details are listed below:
First Public Session on SB 149
Friday, September 24
Community Listening Session
Wednesday, September 29
Community Oversight Boards Sessions
Friday, October 8
Friday, November 5 at 3 p.m.
Register
Public Access to Police Disciplinary Records Sessions
Friday, October 22
Friday, November 19 (time and registration information to be announced)
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