City of Rehoboth Beach and City of Lewes Police Form Accountability Committee

A joint jurisdiction Police Accountability Committee has been formed between the Rehoboth Beach and Lewes Police. This committee met for the first time on June 24th and was formed in compliance with Delaware House Bill 206.  It includes a total of six members currently from both communities who have a wide variety of experience and ties to the towns. The Rehoboth Beach and City of Lewes Police Accountability Committee will meet at least quarterly and will provide advice to both Departments on policy, training and other issues relating to or affecting the department and communities they serve.

Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks and Lewes Police Chief Thomas Spell are thrilled to have such a variety of volunteer committee members and are anticipating delving into many topics of interest to the committee and continuing to build greater transparency, education and community engagement.

Members of the public that are interested are encouraged to attend and additional meeting information will be posted on the websites of both municipalities and police departments in the near future.

Background information:

House Bill 206 was signed by Governor John Carney during the 152nd General Assembly.  The measure revamps the Council on Police Training – changing the name to the Police Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) and amends its powers and duties to more accurately reflect, in part, the dual role of establishing training standards for Delaware police officers as well as overseeing allegations of police officer misconduct and conducting hearings for possible suspensions or decertifications. This measure also improves transparency.

The measure was approved in both chambers with a unanimous vote – with one House member absent. The measure was signed by the governor on August 7, 2023.