DOVER, DE- A community meeting on police reform in Dover Thursday night brought together neighbors and advocacy groups to discuss ways to improve transparency and accountability in the Dover Police Department — and policing across Delaware.
The August 7 meeting marked the two-year anniversary of House Bills 205 and 206, which the General Assembly passed in 2023 to increase transparency and accountability in law enforcement.
House Bill 205 requires public police reports following internal investigations, while House Bill 206 establishes civilian police accountability boards statewide.
However, many Dover community leaders and attendees feel these bills aren't enough, and more reform is needed locally and statewide.
Rob Vanella, with the advocacy group NOCAP Delaware — which helped organize the meeting — says the changes brought by HB 205 and HB 206 have not delivered meaningful results.
"The changes that were approved in 205 and 206 aren't fit for purpose, and we're not getting a lot of reform from them."
The meeting, hosted by groups including the TIDE Shift Justice Project, the ACLU of Delaware, NOCAP Delaware, and the League of Women Voters, allowed residents to share stories about their interactions with the local police department and discuss ways to improve policing.
Dover community activist Chelle Paul, one of four panelists, expressed concern about numerous incidents involving the Dover Police Department.
"We should not have to worry about being kept safe from the police department that is supposed to protect and serve us."
Vanella says concerns like Paul's are common and need to be addressed, which is why he says that one goal of the meeting was to collect stories and firsthand accounts to create a community-driven report on policing.
"Show us videos, tell us their story, so we can put those together and report out about that, and maybe even go further when we have these examples."
Organizers also say they hope to use feedback to push for a "clean-up bill" to strengthen existing police reform laws when the legislative session resumes in January.
During the event, attendees rated statements like "Do I trust my local police department?" with green, yellow, or red Post-it notes — representing strongly agree, neutral, and strongly disagree. Most were red, signaling widespread distrust.
In response to the meeting, the Dover Police Department released a statement to WBOC:
"The Dover Police Department supports open dialogue, but we firmly believe the reforms brought by House Bills 205 and 206 have been meaningful. We have entered into a new era of accountability and transparency that balances the interests of the public and the hard-working public safety professionals that serve them.
Dover Police Officers continue to serve this community with integrity, skill, compassion, and a commitment to doing the right thing all day — every day. Broad generalizations about policing undermine an appropriate examination of the facts here in Delaware and the great progress we have already made.
NOCAP has come to Dover with the intention of disparaging the police department to achieve political goals. They have brought a biased and unprofessional initiative that can have only one outcome. Should a member of our community have a complaint about policing, there is a legitimate process that enjoys widespread support from both the community and the policing profession.
Our focus remains on providing superior service to the community, building trust, bringing solutions to difficult problems, and continuing to support our officers and support staff as they put their safety on the line to create a better Dover. Those looking to exploit that effort are not serious about public safety and disrespect the people that do the work."
Organizers said Thursday's meeting is the only one scheduled so far, but hope to bring similar events to other parts of Delaware in the coming months to continue dialogue on police reform and generate ideas for change.