Lewes Booking Reports

Lewes is the "First Town in the First State" and sits at the mouth of the Delaware Bay in Sussex County. Lewes Booking Reports can rest with the Lewes Police Department, Delaware State Police Troop 4 in Georgetown, or the Sussex County Sheriff's Office. This page walks through each desk, the city FOIA online form, the state FOIA rules, and the free state tools you can use to search a Lewes booking file. Start with the arresting agency for the fastest reply.

Lewes Police Department Records

The Lewes Police Department is at 114 East Third Street, Lewes, DE 19958. Chief of Police Thomas R. Spell runs the force. The non-emergency line is 302-645-6264. For emergencies, dial 911 and the call goes to Sussex County Emergency Dispatch. The Lewes Police Department page on the city site lists the key desks and the public lines.

The agency has 16 state certified sworn officers, one civilian administrative assistant, and eight parking ambassadors. Federal records list the station code as 2YT05M with 13 sworn officers on the roster. The department's work splits across a Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations, and the Bicycle and Beach Patrol. The beach patrol is key during peak season when crowds swell.

The core values of the department are Integrity, Human Life, Accountability, Community, Partnerships, and Professionalism. Each value is tied into day to day work. A Lewes booking made by a town officer stays at the Lewes Police records desk. Records of crashes, incidents, and arrests all sit with the same clerk.

Lewes Booking Reports FOIA Form

The City of Lewes runs FOIA requests through a web form. The Lewes FOIA Record Request Form is the fastest way to log a request. The form asks for the date of the request, the public body you are writing to, your name, your address, the city, state, zip, your phone, and your email. It also has a field for the records you want and a fee preference check.

The city set up the online form based on Senate Bill 87 of the 146th General Assembly. Governor Jack Markell signed that bill into law on October 20, 2011. The bill pushed local bodies to make FOIA access simple for residents. The online form is the result of that push.

A request should be clear. Spell out each record you want. Name a date range. Include a case number if you have one. The city has 15 business days to reply. If the staff needs more time or if the record is in storage, the clerk will reach out with a time estimate.

City of Lewes FOIA Rules

The city keeps a full FOIA info page on the site. The Lewes FOIA page lays out what records are public, what the fees are, and how an appeal works. The page points to state law at Title 29 of the Delaware Code.

Delaware FOIA rules live in Title 29, Chapter 100 of the Delaware Code. The law sets the 15 business day reply window. The first 20 pages of any reply are free. After that the cost is $0.10 per sheet. Admin fees start after one hour of staff time at a set hourly rate.

If the city denies a request, the Attorney General has a path to review. File a petition with the AG's office. The Attorney General's FOIA page has the petition form and the rules on appeal. The AG can rule that the record must be released.

Lewes Police Department Reports Archive

The city hosts a reports archive on the police department page. The Lewes Police Department Reports page lists past reports from the chief. The page is a running log of department work. It is not a booking file, but it can show a trend or a pattern.

A resident can use the archive to see the shape of local police work. The reports cover staffing, training, crashes, and major cases from the prior period. A booking file is a different type of record and must be requested through FOIA or at the records desk.

The 2016 police budget was $1,405,531 in total. Police salaries took $851,226 of that. Parking revenue was $135,468 and police fines came in at $41,126. Those figures shift year to year. The current budget book is on the city site under the finance tab.

Lewes Public Safety Updates

The city posts public comments and updates on matters that may tie into police work. A recent post covered the S-1-23 Henlopen Bluff matter. The Lewes public comments page is where the city shares notices about safety, public works, and tied cases.

Public comment posts give context for police work. They are not a booking file. A resident who wants the arrest record should go through FOIA. Use the online form or send a written request to the records desk at 114 East Third Street.

Lewes Police Complaints Page

The city keeps a complaints page for the Police Department. The Lewes Complaints page lets a resident file a formal complaint about a police interaction. After hours calls should go to 302-645-6264. The page lists the steps and the chain of command.

A complaint is its own record. It is not the same as a booking file. The complaint file may be held apart from the arrest file but both tie to the same officer and date. The internal affairs path runs through the chief of police. Some parts of the complaint file are public and some are exempt under state law.

DSP Troop 4 in Georgetown

Delaware State Police Troop 4 is at 546 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown, DE 19947. The line is (302) 856-5850. Troop 4 runs patrol across much of southern Sussex County. A trooper may book a person inside Lewes on a state charge or during a joint case. The file would sit at Troop 4 records.

A booking by a state trooper is logged at Troop 4 first. From there it flows into the DELJIS backbone. The state-wide database holds a record of every arrest, no matter which agency made the stop. A clerk at Troop 4 can confirm if a file is on hand.

Send a written records request to Troop 4 with the full name and the arrest date. A case number is ideal. The troop follows the state FOIA path at every step. The reply window is 15 business days.

Sussex County Courts for Lewes Cases

A Lewes case moves to the Sussex County Courthouse in Georgetown. The courthouse sits at 1 The Circle. The Court of Common Pleas handles misdemeanor cases. Felony cases go to the Superior Court. The clerk of court keeps the docket file and a public access terminal for in-person review.

A court docket lists:

• Case number and filing date
• Defendant name and aliases
• Charges and counts
• Hearing dates and rulings
• Final sentence

Certified court copies cost a per-page fee. A clerk can pull a case file with a name, a case number, or a date of filing. The court record is distinct from the police booking file. Both may tie to the same event.

State Tools for Lewes Booking Reports

Use state tools when a city search comes up short. A Lewes booking may show up at a state site before a town clerk can pull the file. A criminal history check for a personal review or for a professional license board can be requested through the State Bureau of Identification.

Key state tools to use:

• Wanted Person Search for open warrants across Delaware
• VINELink for live inmate status at DOC sites
• Sex Offender Registry for searches by zip, name, or city

All three tools are free to the public. The DELJIS wanted list is a good first check for any name. The DOC tool shows custody data. The sex offender registry is kept by the state police and lists each active registrant.

A certified state criminal history is $72. A state plus federal report is $85. Book a fingerprint slot through uenroll.identogo.com with the right service code. The result is a rap sheet with all arrests, charges, and outcomes tied to that person. A Lewes booking shows up as a line on that sheet.

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