Law Enforcement Bill Of Rights Reform bill passes Delaware Legislature
DOVER, Del. –
The Delaware Senate Friday sent two measures to Governor John Carney that would revamp how law enforcement disciplinary cases are handled and publicly disclosed, and add members of the public to a panel tasked with setting training standards and reviewing allegations of misconduct by Delaware police officers.
Together, the bills would require public disclosure of certain findings against police officers, mandate that certain disciplinary reports be shared with defense attorneys, and provide greater oversight of state and local law enforcement agencies.
“The bills we passed today represent an important step forward in our ongoing efforts to shed light on the culture of secrecy and ambiguity that has made it impossible for our communities to differentiate between honest police officers upholding their oath and bad apples whose actions spread fear and distrust among our neighbors,” Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman said. “While we still have more work to do around records transparency and community review boards, these bills are an important move in the right direction, and I look forward to Governor Carney signing them into law.”
Sponsored by House Majority Whip Melissa Minor-Brown and Sen. Lockman, House Substitute 1 for House Bill 205 would make numerous changes to the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, also known as LEOBOR, including renaming the law Police Officer’s Due Process, Accountability, and Transparency.
The strict confidentiality provisions currently contained in LEOBOR have enabled a number of officers to continue serving despite repeated and egregious accusations of misconduct, including a former Dover officer whose file contained nearly 30 use-of-force reports, a fact that came to light only after he was captured on video breaking a man’s jaw.
Disciplinary records for police officers recently convicted of domestic violence, sexual solicitation of a child, excessive force, abusing narcotics on the job, and operating a phantom traffic ticket scheme are currently shielded from public view.
Bill Sponsor Melissa Minor Brown tells 47ABC the bills represent a first, not a final step while acknowledging the bills are not everything activists wanted.
“The way the advocates spoke out last year we didn’t end up with anything right and we have to start somewhere there are defiantly steps to this process but we need to keep working together to continue the process,” she said.
The measure now heads to Governor Carney’s desk.
