Delaware
Delaware's three sheriffs (New Castle, Kent, Sussex) are
civil-process officers only. A 2012 statute (HB 325) codified the
limitation on sheriff powers, and the Delaware Supreme Court upheld
it in Christopher v. Sussex County (2013), confirming that
"sheriffs and their deputies are not law enforcement officers in
the state of Delaware." Because Delaware sheriffs have no general
arrest or patrol authority, civilian oversight of sheriffs is
structurally out of scope here. New Castle County's Police
Accountability Board (2023) covers the New Castle County Police
Department, not the Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff oversight
0/3 counties with a dedicated body
0 reports from those bodies
Other oversight
0 Civil Grand Jury reports
0 statewide oversight reports
Compare costs
Compare Delaware sheriff departments side by side
Population, budget, $ per resident, staffing, and jail capacity across all 3 counties.
Counties
| # | County | Status (date) | Started (date) | LE capability | Independence | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Kent | — | — | — | — | |
| 02 | New Castle | — | — | — | — | |
| 03 | Sussex | — | — | — | — |