City of New Castle Police Records

The City of New Castle keeps police records through its own local FOIA form and through the larger county police agency. You can search New Castle police records by filing a request with the city clerk, with the New Castle County Police, or with the Delaware State Police. Most reports are open under state law. The city is a small historic town of about 5,300 on the Delaware River, and it sits inside New Castle County. This page walks you through each records path, what to include on your form, and how long each office takes to reply.

City of New Castle FOIA Form

The City of New Castle runs its own FOIA form for local records. The form sits on the city website at newcastlecity.delaware.gov/foia/. Use this form when you want records held by the city, not the county. That can mean city council files, local board meeting notes, or files on a city employee.

The form has fields for the name of the public body, your name, the request date, your street address, city, state, zip, email, and phone. The records requested field is key. Be as clear as you can. List the types of records, the dates, the parties, and the subject matter. Vague requests may be delayed.

There is a cost threshold line on the form. Put a dollar amount so the city calls you before any big bill. The reply window is 15 business days under 29 Del. C. § 10003. The city will give access, deny and cite a statute, or ask for more time. Note that a FOIA request itself may be a public record, so the form warns you of that.

New Castle Police Records Path

New Castle is served by two police agencies. The New Castle Police Department is the local city force. The New Castle County Police Department covers the wider area and often takes the lead on larger cases. For an incident report tied to a police call inside city limits, ask the local department first. If that fails, try the county.

The New Castle County Police Department Records Unit sits at 3601 N. DuPont Highway, New Castle, DE 19720. The phone line for records is (302) 395-8171. Public counter hours run Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. The unit keeps incident reports, crash reports, and arrest logs for the NCCPD service area. Under state retention rules, NCCPD investigation files are held for 100 years. That is much longer than the 10-year hold used by most other Delaware departments.

To get a report, give the date of the event, the case number if you have it, the location, and the names of those involved. The same 15 business day FOIA reply rule applies. Fees follow the state schedule. The first 20 pages are free, and each page after that is ten cents. Certified copies and large records may cost more.

For arrests made by the Delaware State Police inside or near the City of New Castle, file with DSP. The Delaware State Police FOIA page lists the mail and email options. DSP Headquarters is at 1441 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901, phone (302) 739-5901.

New Castle Court Records

Court files for cases that start in the City of New Castle flow to the county courts in Wilmington. The New Castle County Courthouse is the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. The phone is (302) 255-0800. The public counter runs Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The court system has four main levels that touch police records. The Justice of the Peace Court hears small civil cases and the early stages of some criminal cases. The Court of Common Pleas takes traffic tickets and some misdemeanors. The Superior Court takes felonies and serious civil matters. The Family Court takes domestic cases that tie in to police reports. For most case lookups, use courts.delaware.gov and the CourtConnect tool.

For jail info, the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington is the main jail for people held after a New Castle area arrest. The Department of Correction runs a public inmate lookup. You can check status, facility, and projected release date. For notice of changes, sign up on VINELink.

The New Castle County Sheriff's Office handles civil process, not criminal files. The office sits at 87 Reads Way, New Castle, DE 19720, phone (302) 395-8450. Use the Sheriff for writs, evictions, and court service, not for arrest records.

State Level Records Help

When a city or county denies a request, or when you need a record from more than one agency, the state FOIA portal is the next stop. The Secretary of State runs a contact page at sos.delaware.gov/contact/foia-requests/. It lists the custodian for each state body.

The page lists each office under the Secretary of State. It gives the FOIA coordinator name, email, and phone. Use it for records from the Division of Corporations, the Division of Professional Regulation, or the Public Archives.

For a statewide view of the law, see 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. The code sets the 15 business day reply, the copy fee, and the 19 types of records that can be kept private. Arrest records in an open case, some personnel files, and juvenile files are on that list.

For a certified criminal history of a named person, the request goes to the Delaware State Bureau of Identification. The SBI office for New Castle County is at DSP Troop 2 on Route 40, west of Fox Run Shopping Center, Bear, DE 19701. An appointment is required. Call (302) 739-2528 to book. The fee for a state check is $52.50. The fee for state and federal is $69.00. Bring a photo ID.

Related New Castle Records

Police files are only one piece of the record puzzle. Many cases also touch property, vital, or court files. Here is where to look for each:

• Property deeds and liens: New Castle County Recorder of Deeds
• Birth, death, and marriage: Delaware Division of Public Health
• Sex offender registry: State Bureau of Identification
• Court docket lookups: CourtConnect
• Historic police files: Delaware Public Archives

The Delaware Public Archives in Dover takes police files once the retention window ends. For NCCPD that is 100 years. For most other local departments it is 10 years. Older files from the city and the county may be on site at the Archives. Staff there can help you run a name or date search.

For background checks not tied to a case, the SBI office is the right door. For a plain name search before you pay a fee, the court portal and the sex offender page are free. You can also check Attorney General FOIA opinions for how past denials were handled. Opinion 25-IB29 covered body cam footage. Opinion 24-IB01 covered officer pay and names.

Tips for a New Castle Records Request

A good request saves weeks. Be clear. Give the full name of anyone in the file. List the date of the event as best you can. Add the case number if you have it. Name the right agency in the first line of the form. A request to the wrong body gets bounced and you restart the 15 day clock.

Ask for a fee estimate before you pay. Put a dollar limit on the cost threshold line. If the bill will run past that, the office must call you. For big records, the office may let you view files in person at no charge. That can save cash when you do not need copies of everything.

Track your file. Keep a copy of the form, the date you sent it, and any reply from staff. If the 15 day window passes with no word, send a written note. If the office denies your request, ask for the statute they cite. You may then file a petition with the Attorney General at opengovernment@delaware.gov or mail 820 N. French St, 6th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801.

New Castle County

The City of New Castle is in New Castle County. The county page has more on the NCCPD Records Unit, the Sheriff, and the county FOIA portal. Cases that start in the city often end up on county files too.

Nearby Delaware Cities

Other cities in New Castle County run their own police records units. Pick a city below for that local contact info.