DE ACLU Sues Dewey Beach Police for Body-Cam Footage

DEWEY BEACH, Del. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware (ACLU-DE) filed a lawsuit on Friday against Dewey Beach in the Superior Court of New Castle County.

The lawsuit alleges the town unlawfully denied access to body worn camera footage from six officers. The Town of Dewey Beach argued the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was denied under exemptions for investigatory files, criminal records, and common or statutory law.

However, in its denial letter to the ACLU-DE, Dewey Beach provided no indication the body worn camera footage was gathered following any allegation or report of a criminal or civil law enforcement investigation. Dewey Beach also cited the criminal records exemption, but the ACLU-DE argues this exemption applies only where the requested records would invade privacy. Dewey Beach provided no justification for how releasing the footage would do so.

ACLU-DE says their request for the body worn camera footage came after receiving a report that a group of young people had faced potential discrimination due to their race during the summer of 2025. None of the young people were charged with a crime, and there appeared to be no active investigation into their conduct.

“One of the key reasons Delaware mandated that law enforcement officers wear body worn cameras is to provide greater transparency and accountability to the public,” said ACLU-DE Civic Engagement Counsel Andrew Bernstein. “Unnecessarily blocking access to that footage undermines the public’s trust.”

To read more about the lawsuit, click here.