Day: January 28, 2021

Incident Number: 50-21-2475

Date/Time:  Wednesday, January 27th, 2021 at 7:36 p.m.

Location: Rear Alley in the 600 Block of Pear Street, Dover, DE

Contact:   Dover Police Department Public Information Office
Sergeant Mark Hoffman   Email: Mark.Hoffman@cj.state.de.us

Narrative: 

The Dover Police Department is investigating a robbery that occurred on Wednesday evening in the rear alley of the 600 Block of Pear Street.  A male victim agreed to meet one of the suspects through a social app.  When he met the man on Whatcoat Drive, he was with two other men.  The victim agreed to drive them to Pear Street.  When they stopped in the rear alley of Pear Street, the three suspects assaulted the victim and removed his car keys, wallet, cell phone, and glasses.  The suspects then fled in the vehicle (since recovered) belonging to the victim.  

The victim suffered minor facial injuries and was transported to Bayhealth Kent General Hospital for treatment.  The suspects were only described as black males.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the Dover Police Department at (302)736-7130.  Callers may remain anonymous.  Tips may also be submitted to law enforcement through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333 or online at delaware.crimestoppersweb.com; a cash reward is possible for information leading to an arrest.

The Dover Police Department has received unanimous approval for a Body Worn Camera program for their officers.  During a January 26^th Council Meeting of the Whole (Legislative, Finance, and Administration Committee), the proposal for a full body worn camera program was unanimously approved.  The program will now move to City Council for final approval. 

After months of research and field testing different body worn camera brands and models, the Dover Police Department determined that the Axon/Taser model was best suited for their agency.  The program includes a 5-year package that covers all devices and accessories to include:

-70 new Axon Body 3 body worn cameras with two sets of scheduled replacement cameras during the 5-year program
–85 new T-7 Tasers
-Device Docking stations and related accessories
-Data Storage and Sharing Capabilities through Evidence.com
–Virtual Reality/De-escalation Training for all officers in the following topics:

• Schizophrenia
• Suicidal Ideation
• Autism
• Hard of Hearing
• Peer Intervention
• Post-Traumatic-Stress

The approved proposal also addresses the workload that is associated with managing body worn camera data, storage, file maintenance, and evidence requests by funding an evidence manager position for the Dover Police Department.

The body worn camera program was one of several objectives that was part of a series of reform goals outlined in a June 2020 press conference.  Since that announcement, the department provided an update in December detailing the accomplishments of the agency that met or exceeded those goals.  With the approval of the Axon/Taser body worn camera proposal, the Dover Police Department continues to be a leader in the first state in ensuring transparent and equal law enforcement services to their community.

More information on the Body Worn Camera Program:
DPD Body Worn Camera Program Details(PowerPoint)
DPD Body Worn Camera Program Details (PDF)