Morgan R. Kelly
Communications Director
She, Her
Delaware’s Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBOR) statute is the worst in the nation for transparency, making the state a leader in police secrecy. Delawareans are demanding police accountability through LEOBOR reform, NOW.
With the staggering number of police-involved shootings that occur each year in Delaware, officers must be held accountable to earn trust and protect public safety — but LEOBOR protects officers from accountability and shrouds police misconduct investigations in secrecy.
71% of Delawareans support creating community oversight boards that would investigate and advise on discipline for officers who engage in misconduct
Senate Bill 149, sponsored by Senator Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman and Representative Kendra Johnson, aims to amend 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 — and our new poll reveals that Delawareans support these measures in staggering numbers.
The poll, conducted by YouGov in June 2021, showed that:
- 71 percent of Delawareans support creating community oversight boards that would investigate and advise on discipline for officers who engage in misconduct;
- 68 percent of Delawareans support making Delaware police officers’ disciplinary records available to the public; and
- 72 percent of Delawareans believe that if a police officer faces misconduct allegations, the officer should be questioned as soon as possible so that details of an incident are fresh and officers don’t have time to "get their stories straight."
68% of Delawareans support making Delaware police officers’ disciplinary records available to the public
These numbers make clear what we already knew: Delawareans demand increased police transparency and accountability.
SB 149 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 16, but with just one week left before this year’s legislative session ends, we’re pushing for swift movement to get this bill through the General Assembly and on Governor Carney’s desk this year.
Take action now to let your legislators know that you stand with the majority of Delawareans in support of LEOBOR reform through SB 149.
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