Bill Text: DE SR9 | 2015-2016 | 148th General Assembly | Draft

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Bill Title: Honoring The Delaware Capitol Police For Their Distinguished Service As They Observe The 50th Anniversary Of Their Establishment In 1965.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-06-30 - Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 16 YES 0 NO 0 NOT VOTING 5 ABSENT 0 VACANT [SR9 Detail]

Download: Delaware-2015-SR9-Draft.html

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SPONSOR:	Sen. Blevins & Sen. Henry & Sen. Lavelle & Sen. McBride & Sen. Simpson
	Sens. Bonini, Bushweller, Cloutier, Ennis, Hall-Long, Hocker, Lawson, Lopez, Marshall, McDowell, Peterson, Pettyjohn, Poore, Richardson, Sokola, Townsend

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 9

HONORING THE DELAWARE CAPITOL POLICE FOR THEIR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AS THEY OBSERVE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR ESTABLISHMENT IN 1965.

WHEREAS, the Delaware Capitol Police marks its beginning with the establishment of a three-man unit in 1965 to watch over Legislative Hall in order to deter vandalism of the property; and

WHEREAS, the mission of the unit then known as "Capitol Security" was later expanded to include surveillance of several other state properties; and

WHEREAS, at this early stage in its history, the Capitol Security were not a part of the regular state budget and had to rely upon donations and transfers of equipment from other agencies for their operations; and

WHEREAS, the original Capitol Security officers received no formal training, and were unarmed, carrying only nightsticks, handcuffs and tear gas canisters, and relied for transportation on a used state vehicle with no markings, emergency lighting or police radios; and

WHEREAS, in July, 1974, Thomas Murray, then Director of Administrative Services, saw a need to expand the role of Capitol Security and began a two-week basic police/security training course for officers, including weapons qualification; and

WHEREAS, Capitol Security officers were thereafter allowed to be armed and were sworn in as state constables with the same arrest powers as officers of the Dover City Police while on state property; and

WHEREAS, after that change in their scope and mission, Capitol Security officers began attending the Delaware State Police Academy for formal police training and the force was redesignated the "Capitol Security Police" and was equipped with fully-equipped police vehicles, new uniforms and a police canine unit; and

WHEREAS, by 1980, all Capitol Security Police officers who were qualified to attend the Delaware State Police Academy had completed their training, and, with the completion of the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington, the size of the force was expanded to allow for police coverage of that building as well; and

WHEREAS, at the time of this expansion, the force was officially renamed the "Delaware Capitol Police"; and

WHEREAS, several years later the powers of the Capitol Police were further heightened by the granting of statewide arrest powers to members of the force; and

WHEREAS, during the 1990's, there were further changes, including the inclusion of the Division of Capitol Police in the Department of Public Safety (later renamed the Department of Safety and Homeland Security by Governor Ruth Ann Minner); and a further integration of the Capitol Police communications center into the state communications center; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, and particularly since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the nation, the mission of the Capitol Police has continued to expand, with an extension of its responsibility over new courthouses and court facilities in all three counties, as well as other state buildings; and

WHEREAS, the importance of the Delaware Capitol Police was dramatically demonstrated during the tragic events of Monday, February 11, 2013, when a gunman in the lobby of Wilmington's New Castle County Courthouse opened fire on several women who were waiting to go through the metal detectors in the lobby area and enter the court, killing two persons and then killing himself during an exchange of gunfire with the Capitol Police officers who were on the scene, two of whom were slightly wounded in the exchange; and

WHEREAS, other Capitol Police officers in the area placed their own lives in danger by helping to protect many of the estimated 50 to 60 persons then in the part of the courthouse nearest to the scene of the shooting; and

WHEREAS, this tragic incident, tragic has been a graphic reminder both of the high level of professionalism of the Delaware Capitol Police and of the importance of their mission of guarding state government facilities and the citizens who use them; and

WHEREAS, the Delaware Capitol Police now operates in all three counties and serves all three branches of state government, consisting of the following personnel:a chief, two captains, four lieutenants, nine sergeants, 49 police officers ranging in rank from recruit through corporal, 19 senior security officers, two management analysts, an administrative analyst and a deputy principal assistant, as well as an explosives detection canine team in each of the three counties; and

WHEREAS, the Capitol Police operate a Special Unit in Kent County, which is responsible for security at Legislative Hall, the Tatnall Building, and Woodburn, the Governor's House, as well as a Dover Patrol Section which services more than 80 separate state facilities and a Special Investigations Unit; and

WHEREAS, in addition to these responsibilities, the force provides security in New Castle County at the New Castle County Courthouse and the Carvel State Office Building; in Kent County at the Kent County Courthouse, the Kent County Family Court, and the Delaware Supreme Court; and in Sussex County, the Sussex County Courthouse, the Sussex County Family Court and the Sussex County Court of Chancery;

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 148th General Assembly of the State of Delaware that the members do hereby pay tribute to the men and women of the Delaware Capitol Police as they mark 50 years of distinguished service to the citizens of the First State, and express the heartfelt thanks of all Delawareans to them for their outstanding service to the citizens they are sworn to protect.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Senate do hereby express the sincere hope that the Delaware Capitol Police will continue to carry out their mission of protection and service for many more years to come.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that suitable copies of this Senate Resolution be presented to the Delaware Capitol Police upon its passage, together with the heartfelt thanks and best wishes of this body.

SYNOPSIS

This Senate Resolution honors the men and women of the Delaware Capitol Police as they mark 50 years of distinguished service to the State of Delaware.

Author:Senator Blevins