Find Police Records in Kent County

Kent County police records cover Dover, Smyrna, Harrington, Milford, and the wide rural stretch served by the Delaware State Police. You can search Kent County police records through the Levy Court FOIA office, the city police records units, the Delaware Courts site, or the State Bureau of Identification. Most reports follow 29 Del. C. Chapter 100, which opens public records to any Delaware citizen. Staff reply in 15 business days. This page shows you where to file, who to call, and what to bring with your request.

Kent County Levy Court Police Records

The Kent County Levy Court is the main body for county government in Kent County. Its FOIA Coordinator is Kelly Pitts, the Public Information Officer. Kelly takes in FOIA forms for all Levy Court departments, including records that touch on public safety, civil process, and the Sheriff's Office. The office sits at 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901. You can call the PIO line at (302) 744-2304 or the Administration Department at 302-744-2305.

Most requests are simple. The county asks that you first check the site or call the office that holds the file. If the request is big or hard to pin down, you will need a formal FOIA. One form is fine even if the records span more than one Levy Court department. Mail the form to Kelly Pitts at 555 Bay Road, fax it to 302-736-2279, or email PIO@kentcountyde.gov. Delaware residency is required to file.

The Levy Court home page links to the FOIA portal, the Sheriff's Office, and the Administration page. It is the right first stop for county-level record work in Kent.

The county must reply to a FOIA in 15 business days under 29 Del. C. § 10003. The reply will grant access, deny the ask with a cited exemption, or note that more time is needed. The first 20 pages are free. Each page after that is ten cents. If the staff time is long, the county may bill per quarter hour at the rate of the lowest paid staff who can do the work.

How to Request Kent County Police Records

Kent County lays out four ways to ask for police records and other public files. The method you pick depends on how fast you need the file and what kind of proof you want to keep.

• Submit online through the Kent County Levy Court Public Records Center
• Print and mail the FOIA form to 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901
• Fax the form to 302-736-2279
• Email PIO@kentcountyde.gov with a full request

Each method needs the same info. Give your full name, address, phone, email, and a clear note on the records you want. List dates, names, case numbers, or a subject line. The more specific the ask, the faster the reply. Vague forms slow the work and may push the reply past 15 days.

The how-to page lists each way to file. It also gives the PIO phone line and the mail drop for the Levy Court.

Media asks go to the same office. Kelly Pitts handles press calls. The county notes that most routine asks do not need a formal FOIA at all. A quick call to the right department may get you the answer faster.

Kent County FOIA Portal

Kent County runs a FOIA page that ties the request form, the policy, and the PIO contact into one spot. The page cites 29 Del. C. Chapter 100 and the county's own FOIA policy. Staff at the Levy Court route each form to the right department, watch the 15 day clock, and log the reply for the record.

The FOIA page sets the form link, the fax line, and the email drop in one view. It also notes the 19 file types that may be held back under state law.

Investigatory files, intelligence files, personnel files, and pending case files are the main types held back. Other records, such as arrest logs with date and charge, are open. Body cam files may be held back while a case is open, as the AG showed in Opinion 25-IB29.

Kent County Police Records Policy

Kent County Policy 25 sets the rules for record care and public access. The policy uses the same term for "public record" as 29 Del. C. § 10002(d). That means the county and the state start from the same base rule on what is public and what is not. All requests to see an original file must be in writing, on the Request for Information form, and aimed at the department manager, row officer, or custodian who holds the file.

The custodian must log each time someone looks at an original. The log holds the name and the date for at least 180 days. Staff watch while a person reads an original. If staff cannot sit with the file, the county gives a copy at the requester's cost. Originals are open only in regular work hours. Copy fees are set by ordinance and may change. Full pay is due before the file goes out, unless the county sets up other billing.

The Policy 25 page lays out the full rule set. It covers form use, log keeping, supervision, and the 30 day video copy window under Policy 25-3.

Under Policy 25-3, all Levy Court meetings and board meetings are recorded on video or audio. The county keeps the raw files and gives out copies within 30 days of a paid request.

Kent County Criminal Records and SBI

A certified Delaware criminal history must come from the State Bureau of Identification. The Kent County SBI office is at Blue Hen Corporate Center, 655 South Bay Road, Suite 1B, Dover, DE 19901. It is the only SBI office in the state that takes walk-ins without an appointment. The office is open Monday 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Tuesday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Call (302) 739-5871 for info.

The fee for a state-only background check is $52.50. A state and federal check is $69.00. Bring a photo ID such as a driver's license, school ID, or state ID. A Social Security card is not needed. A birth certificate is not needed. The SBI takes cash, credit and debit cards, bank checks, money orders, or company checks. Personal checks are not accepted. The SBI also runs the Delaware Sex Offender Central Registry, which gets new data each Friday.

For court files, use the Delaware Court Connect portal on the Delaware Courts site. The portal lists cases from Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Justice of the Peace Court. The Kent County Courthouse sits at 38 The Green, Dover, DE 19901. JP Court No. 7 sits at 480 Bank Lane, Dover. JP Court No. 6 sits at Cams Fortune Way, Harrington. Each clerk can pull docket info and take fees for certified copies.

Kent County Arrest Records

Arrest records in Kent County come from the agency that made the arrest. For unincorporated parts of the county, that is most often the Delaware State Police. Call DSP Headquarters at 1441 N. DuPont Highway, Dover, DE 19901, phone (302) 739-5901. The DSP FOIA Coordinator is Angie von Bank. Email angie.vonbank@delaware.gov to file a formal ask.

City arrests go to the city police. Dover PD, Smyrna PD, and Harrington PD each keep their own arrest logs. Milford spans Kent and Sussex, so some arrests there route through each side. When you file, include the full name of the person, the date of birth or an age range, the date of arrest or a guess, the case number if you have one, and the arresting agency if known. The more facts you give, the faster the search goes.

Free tools help you narrow the search before you file. The DSP arrest archive, the Court Connect portal, the Sex Offender Registry, and the public access terminals at 38 The Green each hold some data. Fees for a certified record are based on the agency. Most run $25 to $45, set under Delaware Administrative Code Title 1, § 1301.

People held after arrest in Kent County go to the Kent County Correctional Center in Smyrna. The Delaware Department of Correction runs an online inmate lookup on doc.delaware.gov. VINELink sends alerts on status changes. Bond and bail run through the Justice of the Peace Court that handled the first appearance.

Appeals and Denials

If a Kent County agency denies your FOIA, you have 60 days to file a petition with the Attorney General under 29 Del. C. § 10005. Email the petition to opengovernment@delaware.gov or mail it to 820 N. French St, 6th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801. The AG reads the file and issues an opinion. Past opinions are posted on the AG opinions page.

Opinion 25-IB29 looked at body cam footage from an open DSP case and ruled the denial was valid. Opinion 24-IB01 looked at officer names, pay, and resumes and ruled some of those files could be held back under the privacy rule. You can also file suit in Superior Court. A win can come with an award of attorney fees.

More Kent County Resources

For the full state FOIA law, read 29 Del. C. Chapter 100. It lays out the 15 business day reply window, the copy fee, and the 19 exempt file types. Section 10001 sets the legislative finding. Section 10002 holds the key definitions.

The delaware.gov FOIA portal lists each state agency and a PDF form. The Delaware State Police FOIA page holds the DSP online form and the coordinator contact. For a broad open government view, see the AG open government page.

For historical files, the Delaware Public Archives holds arrest and investigation records past their retention date. Local Kent County police files are kept for 10 years. After that, the Archives in Dover takes them. Vital records become public at set age marks. Birth records open at 72 years. Marriage records open at 50 years. Death records open at 40 years.

Cities in Kent County

Kent County is home to Dover, Milford, Harrington, and Smyrna. Each city runs its own police department and records unit. Pick a city below for local contact info and the FOIA process for that area.

Nearby Delaware Counties

Kent County sits in the middle of the state. New Castle is to the north. Sussex is to the south along the coast.