Governor Carney: “We can do great things if we work together, and this legislation shows that we are moving forward productively.”

NEWARK (DE) BY GEORGE SHEA: It was an exciting day for not only law enforcement but also the communities in which they serve as Governor John Carney signed legislation requiring police officers and certain employees of the Department of Correction and the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families to wear and use a body camera.

The signing of the bill happened Wednesday morning at Delaware State Police Troop 2 in Newark. Carney was joined by members of law enforcement, advocates and members of the General Assembly during the bill signing.

Body cameras will be used to record interactions with members of the public in accordance with the regulations that will be established by the Council on Police Training. Governor Carney supported this proposal in his 2021 State of the state address.

“Here in Delaware, we look out for each other because we care for our neighbors,” said Governor Carney. “We can do great things if we work together, and this legislation shows that we are moving forward productively. Thank you to the members of the General Assembly and the Delaware Black Caucus, Attorney General Jennings, advocates and law enforcement for your leadership on this important piece of legislation.”

This Act requires state agencies to implement the statewide body camera program through the procurement of cameras, development of a central data storage program, and provision of necessary personnel. Governor Carney’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget includes $3.6 million for the development and deployment of body cameras.  

Photo by Wilmington Police Department

“Body-worn cameras have the ability to be a game-changer in police-community relations. They greatly improve transparency and accountability, while providing increased protection for both the police and the community,” said Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker. “There is a reason that law enforcement, community members, and lawmakers all have advocated for universal body camera usage throughout our state, and we are seeing the result of that collaborative effort here today. This is a part of the Delaware Legislative Black Caucus’ Justice for All Agenda, and I’m very grateful to see it come to fruition.”

“The Delaware Legislative Black Caucus made a commitment last summer to advance legislation that improves transparency and accountability in policing,” said Senator Darius Brown. “This legislation helps to do both, and I thank Governor Carney for signing this bill into law today.”

“This is a good day for accountability,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Everyone in this state — advocates, police, prosecutors, and the public — agrees that body cameras are good for transparency, good for trust, and good for justice. We worked hard for more than a year to design this program and I am eternally grateful to the advocates who called for change, to the legislators who took up the cause, to the Governor who ensured the initiative was funded, and to the police leaders who worked to get this legislation across the finish line.”

Photo: George Shea, for Delaware Newsline | It was an exciting day for not only law enforcement but also the communities in which they serve as Governor John Carney signed legislation requiring police officers and certain employees of the Department of Correction and the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families to wear and use a body camera.

“While there is still work to be done, the signage of this legislation is the next step in our States continuing efforts to promote accountability, transparency, and legitimacy,” said Secretary McQueen of the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security. “It will also enable Delaware Law Enforcement to continue to build trust and foster positive relationships within our communities.

“The FOP is appreciative for the opportunity to be a part the discussions surrounding this legislation,” said Lt. Jamie Leonard, President of the Delaware State F.O.P. Lodge. “We wholeheartedly agree that body cameras will help increase transparency and accountability for our police officers and the public we serve. We would like to thank the Sponsors of this legislation, and all the members of the General Assembly, for ensuring this bill’s passage. The FOP recognizes the financial burden this legislation could have placed upon many towns and municipalities therefore, we are thankful to Governor Carney for making the funding of this initiative a priority. We look forward to working with all the stakeholders as we join efforts to create a model policy which benefits all Delawareans, citizens and police officers alike.”

“The Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative is proud to work alongside so many individuals and organizations in the fight for racial justice,” said the Delaware Racial Justice Collaborative. “Today, we celebrate a great win and make Delaware a trailblazer in the nation by holding both police and citizens accountable through body worn cameras.”

“This is a great day for Delaware and small businesses across the state who advocated raising the minimum wage to boost the economy,” said Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage.

WILMINGTON (DE) BY DIGITAL STAFF: Delaware Governor John Carney signed legislation that would gradually increase the Delaware’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.

The signing took place on the steps of the Caravel State Office Building Monday morning. Carney was joined by labor leaders, advocates and members of the General Assembly.

The bill, which was sponsored by Senator Jack Walsh, won’t see it’s first minimum wage increase until January 1, 2022.

“Delawareans who go to work full time shouldn’t be living in poverty,” said Governor Carney. “I am proud to sign Senate Bill 15 today, gradually increasing the minimum wage to $15. Thank you to Senator Walsh and Representative Brady for their leadership, other members of the General Assembly, Union advocates, and everyone else striving to make Delaware the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

Photo George Shea | For Delaware Newsline | Alongside labor leaders, advocates and members of the General Assembly on Monday, Governor John Carney signed legislation to gradually increase Delaware’s minimum wage to $15.

“For the American economy to work for everyone, one thing must be true: that if you work hard day-in and day-out, you’ll be able to earn enough to live with dignity,” said Senator Jack Walsh, the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 15. “Today, Delaware’s workers are a monumental step closer to that reality. Our grocery store clerks, supply chain workers, janitors and long-term care workers showed up to keep our economy open during the pandemic. With Senate Bill 15, we are showing how much we value them with more than platitudes, but with the kind of living wage they’ve earned with their hard work.”

“Raising the minimum wage will help ensure that working people share in Delaware’s post-pandemic economic recovery. A higher minimum wage will put more money in the pockets of the very same customers that small businesses rely on, and it will reduce strain on the social safety net and state spending on programs to aid people who don’t earn enough to live on,” said Representative Gerald Brady, the prime House sponsor of Senate Bill 15. “This legislation is also a major step toward restoring the promise that a job brings with it a fundamental level of dignity and peace of mind for every Delawarean. Thank you to Governor Carney for signing this bill into law and helping to bolster economic security for so many Delaware families.”

Photo George Shea | For Delaware Newsline | Alongside labor leaders, advocates and members of the General Assembly on Monday, Governor John Carney signed legislation to gradually increase Delaware’s minimum wage to $15.

“Today is a reason to celebrate. On behalf of the Delaware AFL-CIO, we congratulate Governor Carney signing SB 15, increasing the minimum wage for Delaware’s working families,” said James Maravelias, President of Delaware AFL-CIO. “The labor movement has long advocated that working people share in the wealth we help create and our incomes should rise with increased productivity. Increasing the state minimum wage is a positive step in that direction that it benefits all Delawareans.”

“This is a great day for Delaware and small businesses across the state who advocated raising the minimum wage to boost the economy,” said Alissa Barron-Menza, vice president of Business for a Fair Minimum Wage. “Workers will be able to spend more at local businesses and fairer pay will bring lower employee turnover and increased productivity. Raising Delaware’s minimum wage will help businesses and communities thrive.”

“Raising the minimum wage will promote a more robust economic recovery from the pandemic for working people and businesses,” said Kristen Deptula, owner of the Canalside Inn, in Rehoboth Beach. “And more businesses will experience the positive connection between better pay, better employee retention, and better customer retention.”

House lawmakers passed a trio of bills Tuesday that would continue ongoing efforts to revamp Delaware’s criminal justice system by increasing transparency, publicizing information about law enforcement complaints and protecting minors from being publicly stigmatized.

DOVER (DE) via House Democrats: Two of the measures – House Bill 215 and House Bill 243 – are part of Delaware Legislative Black Caucus’ Justice for All Agenda, a multi-step plan unveiled in June 2020 in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and in response to a nationwide movement for racial justice and police reform.

Sponsored by Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, House Bill 215 would require law enforcement to electronically record custodial interrogations when they relate to a crime allegedly committed by an adult or a delinquent act allegedly committed by a child. The recording could include audio or video and audio, depending on the equipment available at the time of the interrogation.

“Interrogations are a critical component of the law enforcement process, but too often, there are questions about what actually was said or what happened in that room,” said Rep. Minor-Brown, D-New Castle South. “Much like body cameras, taping interrogations will provide an accurate record of what happened. It will increase transparency and accountability, but it will also provide protection for both the person being questioned and the officers conducting the interrogation. It will reduce false accusations and help restore trust in the process.”

Under HB 215, there would be limited exceptions to this rule, including exigent (pressing) circumstances, a person refusing to be recorded, or if the recording would reveal a confidential informant’s identity or jeopardize the safety of the officer, the individual interrogated, or another individual.

“Recording police interrogations will protect both defendants and law enforcement from false accusations by preserving an accurate record of what transpired,” said Sen. Marie Pinkney, the Senate prime sponsor of HB 215. “If we hope to restore trust in our justice system, we must be willing to eliminate secrecy, innuendo and ambiguity from the equation. House Bill 215 is a major step forward in that effort and I look forward to passing this legislation in the Senate.”

Prosecutors would be required to notify the defense of an intention to introduce an unrecorded statement in court and of the exception that permitted the lack of recording. Under the bill, the prosecution would be required to prove, through clear and convincing evidence, that an exception applies.

The House also passed Rep. Franklin Cooke’s House Bill 243, which would end the practice of disseminating mugshots of juveniles charged with minor crimes. The bill would prohibit law enforcement agencies from releasing or publishing any image depicting a juvenile, including displaying an image on any publicly maintained social media page or website. The bill includes an exception for situations where a juvenile is charged with a violent felony, and release or publication of the photograph is necessary to protect the public’s safety.

“As we know, information that is posted on the internet lives on forever and can follow a person around for years. In that way, a mistake someone made as a teenager can come back to haunt them in adulthood, hurting their job prospects, even if they have managed to put their life on the right track,” said Rep. Cooke, D-New Castle North. “Worse, posting a mugshot of a juvenile online when they are simply charged with or sought in connection with a crime associates them with that offense, even if the charges are dropped, or if they found not responsible.

“If we really believe that these juvenile mugshots can have serious ramifications that follow people around for the rest of their lives, we must look backward before we can truly move forward. I’m hopeful this bill will win quick approval from the General Assembly and end this hurtful practice.”

Last year, Governor John Carney issued an executive order prohibiting executive branch law enforcement agencies, including the Delaware State Police and Capitol Police, from releasing juvenile mugshots, but there is no universal policy among Delaware’s 40-plus police agencies regarding publication of mugshots of minors.

“Releasing the mugshots of children and teens before they’ve ever had their case heard in court can have devastating consequences for young people well into adulthood,” said Sen. Darius Brown, the Senate prime sponsor of HB 243. “Photos of children taken hours after making their worst mistake can live online forever, causing them to struggle finding jobs, secure housing and an education even if they have been acquitted. Children deserve a chance to make amends before being branded online as a criminal for the rest of their lives.”

Additionally, the House passed legislation Tuesday from House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf that would allow members of the public to view complaints against law enforcement officers. House Joint Resolution 4 would require the Criminal Justice Council to publicly publish an integrity report detailing the information furnished by each police agency concerning complaints made against any of its police officers for the previous three years, as well as complaints made in the year against any of its police officers and the disposition of each complaint.

The resolution also would require the CJC to publish and update a searchable list of all police officers who have been decertified in Delaware in the previous 10 years.

“Publishing reports of complaints by agency and a list of decertified officers will make this information more easily accessible to the public and provide more data for residents to know more about the police agencies that serve their communities,” said Rep. Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, a retired Delaware State Police captain. “There is no single silver bullet to addressing police reform; we must take a series of steps forward toward improving transparency and accountability. This measure is another piece of a larger puzzle of reforming our criminal justice system to improve policing and ensure the system works the way it is intended.”

Under HJR 4, the Criminal Justice Council would need to publish the lists by November and keep the data current, with the list of complaints updated at least annually, and the list of decertified officers updated whenever an officer is decertified.

“We’ve been working hard this year to raise the level of transparency and accountability for police in Delaware through legislation that sets a higher standard for use of force and makes police misconduct records publicly accessible,” Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola said. “They say no one is more impacted by bad police work than good police officers and this resolution – from a former state trooper – will further help restore trust in law enforcement by drawing a clear line between the dedicated men and women who faithfully protect our neighbors and those who have violated the public’s trust.”

All three bills head to the Senate for consideration.