New Castle County’s newly appointed Police Accountability Board met for the first time Tuesday night to discuss recent alleged excessive use-of-force incidents by county police.
County Council passed legislation creating the board last November – the 13 new appointees, made up of 11 county-appointed voting members and two non-voting members of law enforcement,
The board heard almost two hours of public comment from residents, elected officials, and community organization leaders about the need for reform – some shared their own experiences with police and why they feel unsafe from law enforcement.
Resident Kristina Kelly addressed a recent viral video showing New Castle County police arresting a Black 17-year-old boy for jaywalking.
“You need to leave these kids alone," Kelly says. "Teach them, stop abusing them.”
Other recent incidents includesN’finitee Coleman, a Black woman who was pulled over in Bear last month. Civilian and body camera footage showed officers holding Coleman to the ground and punching her in the face.
“I thought I had broken up throwing females on the ground," New Castle County Councilman Jea Street said during public comment. I was hoodwinked, bamboozled, I just didn’t know it until I got the call on the 30th.”
Street says police reform was the reason he entered the political sphere 20 years ago. He largely supported giving police the resources they say they need, but says in return, they’ve spun out of control.
Street asked the accountability board to consider recommending that use of force should be different for men and women. He also asked that police start receiving training specifically on dealing with youth.
“It’s a matter of fundamental fairness,” Street says.
Family Court Supervisor with Delaware Defense Services Misty Seemans says she believes police accelerated both incidents out of control. She says she is asking the board to recommend a mandatory deescalation policy for the police.
“I reviewed the New Castle County Use of Force policies," Seemans says. "There’s 24 pages, and only four sentences on deescalation.”
Seemans also emphasized a need for more transparency in what disciplinary actions are taken against police officers that display excessive use of force.
“You are not going to find out publicly what happened with this officer discipline because if it’s not found to be serious physical injury, it’s not going to be public," she says.
Delaware Center for Justice Executive Director Dave Bever says these incidents suggests there is more work to be done at the state level too.
“DCJ will advocate for statewide police file retention policies and additional access to records not included in last year’s reform bills, and community appointments to the council of police training to prevent future incidents like this one.”
Another local resident, James Parker, suggests some reforms need to include harsher consequences for police.
“Y’all have training for the police, y’all have procedures for the police, y’all have a body cam on the police, and yet this stuff is still happening. That means the police that are doing it have no fear of the consequences that follow,” Parker says. “Black people have been traumatized for 400 years. What makes you think that we are going to be calm and cool when you pull us over?
And CEO of Veterans Services in Smyrna Joseph Walls says while they need the police the keep the community safe, the public’s perception has changed as a result of these incidents.
“Are these guys being screened properly to make sure that they’re not being overly aggressive?" Walls says. "Because when you come in the neighborhood, you look like an invasion force. You’ve got tactical gear on like you’re going into enemy territory.”
Board President Kim Eppehimer says the police are doing good work, but there is a clear lack of transparency and communication.
“I also heard that sense of where is the trauma informed care coming into play? And that is usually what supports a deescalation policy," Eppehimer says. "Those two things are not separate.”
Eppeheimer adds the board will also need to think about how their policy recommendations will be enacted – ensuring training is always ongoing.
County Public Safety Director Vaughn Bond says their goal is to have a better relationship with the community.
“What I’m looking for from this board is to have an outside view as to what is going on in the police department," Bond says.
State Representatives Madinah Wilson-Anton and Sophie Phillips were in attendance and spoke in support of police reforms the board may recommend. Both questioned why law enforcement lobbied to oppose their bills – Wilson-Anton’s bill to prohibit law enforcement and courts from requesting, issuing, or enforcing reverse-keyword court orders and reverse keyword requests, and Phillip’s bill to prevent discrimination against people experiencing homelessness.
The board is tasked with producing an annual report of recommendations for police. They will host monthly meetings in-person and online and are soliciting questions and suggestions at NCCPAB@newcastlede.gov.
