Harrington Police Records

Harrington police records are kept by the Harrington Police Department and by Kent County agencies that work with the city. You can search Harrington police records through the local records division, through the Kent County Courthouse in Dover, or through the Delaware State Police. Most arrest logs, crash reports, and incident files are open to the public. Requests go through the records unit on Mechanic Street, and staff reply in a few business days. This page walks you through where to file, who to call, and what to bring.

Harrington Police Department Records

The Harrington Police Department holds the core police records for the city. The records unit sits at 10 Mechanic Street, Harrington, DE 19952. The main phone line is (302) 398-4493. A second line at (302) 398-4495 reaches the department as well. The fax is (302) 398-8947. City Hall at 106 Dorman Street is a short walk away and handles some records tasks that link to the police side. You can find court and FOIA links for the full state through the Delaware Courts site.

The department keeps arrest records, warrants, daily blotters, most wanted lists, and sex offender search links. Most of these records are free to view. A few are pulled from state files and only come through a formal FOIA request. The unit serves the city and nearby parts of Kent County. Crime data for Harrington shows 141 arrests in 2017 with a crime rate of 381.18 per 1,000 residents. The violent crime rate was 56.77. The property crime rate was 324.41. These numbers help set the pace for the records unit each year.

The court site links to CourtConnect, case lookup, and the forms page used for most Harrington cases. Use it as a first stop when you need a case number, a court date, or a copy of a filed report.

Note: The 10 Mechanic Street address is the working police office. Use 106 Dorman Street for council and city clerk matters only.

Harrington Police Records Request Process

To file a request for Harrington police records, you need a written note with your full contact info and the record you want. Be clear on names, dates, and any case number you have. The records unit logs each request and hands it off to the officer who worked the case. Under 29 Del. C. Chapter 100, staff must reply in 15 business days. Most Harrington reports come back in three to five business days since the city is small and the queue is short.

You can file a few ways:

• Walk in to 10 Mechanic Street during office hours
• Mail a written request to the records unit at the same address
• Fax your note to (302) 398-8947
• Call (302) 398-4493 to ask what form you need
• Use the state FOIA portal for overflow or denied items

The report types you can get include crash reports for an insurance claim, incident reports for theft or vandalism, arrest records for a named person, and police clearance letters for visa or travel use. The city also refers some record types to Kent County or the Delaware State Police. Those include state background checks and sex offender records. You can read the full FOIA law on the delaware.gov FOIA portal before you file.

The state FOIA page lists every agency, a PDF form, and the rules on what counts as a public record in Delaware. It is a good read before you file your first request in Harrington.

Note: Delaware residency is needed to file a FOIA request under § 10003. The records unit may ask for a photo ID at the counter.

Kent County Police Records for Harrington

Harrington sits in Kent County. Many records that start in the city end up in a Kent County file. The Kent County Courthouse at 38 The Green, Dover, DE 19901 is the judicial hub. The Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Justice of the Peace Court all share work from Harrington cases. JP Court No. 6 sits on Cams Fortune Way in Harrington itself. That court hears most first appearances for local arrests.

The Kent County Correctional Center in Smyrna is the primary detention facility for the area. When a Harrington officer makes an arrest, the person often ends up at the county jail first. From there, the case moves to the court that has the right venue. You can pull a case file through the state Courts portal or in person at the clerk's office.

For state-level arrests and crash data, the Delaware State Police play a role. The state police run the wanted persons database and the sex offender registry. You can file a records request with DSP through the DSP FOIA page. That page lists the form, the mailing address, and the fee schedule for state-held records.

The DSP FOIA page links to the form, the contact list, and the list of record types the state police can release. Use it when the local department refers you out, or when the record is state-held from the start.

Harrington Arrest and Criminal Records

Arrest records from Harrington flow from the local police. When you ask for one, give the full name of the person, the date of birth or an age guess, the date of arrest, and the case number if you know it. The unit can pull a record in a few days when the case is clear. Older files may take more time.

For a full state criminal history, the request goes to the State Bureau of Identification. SBI handles the certified record. The Harrington Police Department does not issue a statewide criminal history. It only issues local files. You can start at the Delaware Courts site to find the SBI office nearest you. An appointment is needed for SBI visits.

The city council holds a seat on police policy. Harrington has a five-member council with the Mayor, a Council President, and three Council members. Each serves a two-year term. The council meets on the first and third Monday at 7:00 PM in City Hall. The yearly operating budget is about $1.5 million. A share of that budget goes to the police department. You can read AG opinions on Delaware police record denials if a request is turned down.

Note: A certified Delaware criminal history must come from the SBI. The city police cannot issue the official statewide record.

More Harrington Records Help

For the full FOIA law that governs Harrington police records, read 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. The law sets the 15 business day reply window, the copy fee, and the list of 19 exempt file types. It applies to the city, the county, and the state police in the same way.

If a Harrington FOIA request is denied, you can petition the Attorney General. Email opengovernment@delaware.gov or mail the office at 820 N. French St, 6th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. The AG reviews the denial and issues an opinion. Past opinions are free to read online. The process is open to any Delaware resident.

For the state-held record side, the Delaware State Police FOIA desk is the main contact. Troop 3 covers the Kent County area. The troop works with Harrington on major cases. For court records, CourtConnect on the Delaware Courts site holds case data from every level of the state bench. You can search by name or case number. Most Harrington court files are open to public view.

Kent County Police Records

Harrington sits in Kent County. The county page has the full list of courts, the sheriff's office, and the FOIA contacts for the area around the city.

Nearby Delaware Cities

A few other Delaware cities with their own records pages sit near Harrington. Dover is the county seat and the state capital. Milford is to the east. Seaford is south in Sussex County.