Keeping public trust a goal of Lewes-Rehoboth police panel
It’s a matter of trust.
That was one of the key takeaways from the second meeting of the Rehoboth Beach and City of Lewes Police Accountability Committee Oct. 14.
The committee was formed as the result of a 2023 police accountability law that requires all the state’s police departments, either individually or in combination with other departments, to create local accountability boards.
The panel members are the Rev. Eddie Jusino, Kim Leisey and Mary Good, representing Rehoboth, and Dan DeSimone, Dan Zagchem and Andrew Glassman representing Lewes.
Rehoboth Beach Police Chief Keith Banks, Lewes Police Chief Thomas Spell and Rehoboth Beach Police Lt. Mark Sweet are non-voting members.
The panel heard a presentation from Sean Moriarty, executive director of the state Police Officer Standards and Training Commission and the Delaware Police Accreditation Commission.
POST sets standards for police officer hiring and training statewide. DPAC is a formal mechanism by which Delaware police agencies can be systematically measured, evaluated and updated.
In 2024, the Lewes Police Department was the first in the state to receive DPAC accreditation. Rehoboth Beach Police Dept. has not yet received accreditation.
Moriarty’s presentation was, in part, aimed at educating the panel on what his agencies can do to help local departments enhance their relationship with citizens.
“We’re here to enhance public trust and confidence in law enforcement. I talked to you about accountability, transparency and professionalism. That’s exactly what we’re working to do, which is why you play a pivotal role in providing us with extra knowledge that we can build upon,” Moriarty said.
Chiefs Banks and Spell said they continue to receive strong support from their communities.
“We’re not seeing any erosion of trust in Rehoboth Beach. I know it’s concerning nationally, but we’re not seeing it here,” Banks said. “We have an open dialogue with community groups. If people have any questions, they can always call me.”
“In Sussex County, Lewes and Rehoboth Beach in particular, we’re pretty fortunate that the support for policing remains high,” Spell said.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department has asked to join the Lewes-Rehoboth PAC, according to Banks. The panel will discuss the application at a future meeting.
The commission is scheduled to tour the Rehoboth Beach 911 communications center Wednesday, Oct. 22, which will count toward its training requirements.
The information in Moriarty’s presentation can be found at post.delaware.gov.
Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Eagles, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.
