Search Kent County Recent Arrests

Kent County recent arrests are handled by several agencies. The Dover Police Department books cases inside the capital city, Delaware State Police Troop 3 in Camden covers the rest of the county, and smaller towns like Harrington and Smyrna have their own departments. All cases then flow into the Kent County Courthouse on Federal Street for docketing. This page covers the arrest search routes that apply across Kent County: CourtConnect for the court docket, DELJIS for the warrant check, VINELink for the jail lookup, and the Kent County Levy Court FOIA portal for requests that need a formal filing.

Dover Police and Kent County Recent Arrests

Dover is the Kent County seat and the state capital. The Dover Police Department runs the busiest records unit in the county. Six civilian staff handle all arrest reports, criminal reports, traffic crash reports, citations, and city ordinance summons. Dover Police is one of only three municipal agencies in Delaware that can input data directly into DELJIS. That means arrests booked in Dover show up in the state system without a middle step.

For a report from a specific Kent County arrest, the records unit pulls the file by name or case number. You usually pay a small copy fee. For press releases on recent Dover cases, the department posts updates on its news page and routes major items through the Delaware Criminal Justice Council feed.

Kent County arrest records handled by Dover Police include:

• All criminal reports written by sworn officers
• All arrest reports and booking sheets
• Traffic crash and incident reports
• Traffic citations and summons
• City ordinance complaints

Kent County Courthouse and Court Records

The Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street in Dover sits on a 5.3-acre site in the old capital district. Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, Justice of the Peace Court 16, the Register in Chancery, the Prothonotary's Office, and the Law Library all share the building. Satellite offices for the Attorney General and the Public Defender are here too.

Felony cases from a Kent County arrest go to Superior Court. Misdemeanors, most DUI cases, and preliminary felony hearings land in the Court of Common Pleas. Civil traffic and small claims items stay at the Justice of the Peace Courts.

Court phone numbers and addresses for Kent County:

• Superior Court, 414 Federal Street, Dover: (302) 739-5353
• Prothonotary's Office, Federal Street: (302) 735-1900
• Justice of the Peace Court 6, 35 Cams Fortune Way, Harrington: (302) 422-5922
• Justice of the Peace Court 7, 480 Bank Lane, Dover: (302) 739-4554
• Justice of the Peace Court 8, 100 Monrovia Avenue, Smyrna: (302) 653-7083

To search Kent County arrests data online, use Delaware CourtConnect. The portal returns dockets from Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, and every Justice of the Peace Court. Search is free, no account is required, and the system runs 24 hours a day.

How to Look Up Kent County Arrest Records

Pick the tool that fits your starting point. If you have a name, CourtConnect is fastest. If you want warrants, use DELJIS. If you need custody status, go to VINELink.

To run a Kent County arrest search, bring:

• Last name (first name helps)
• Rough date of the arrest
• Court you think held the hearing
• Case or citation number if you have one

For active warrants, run the name through the DELJIS Online Wanted Person Review. The DELJIS database holds more than 70,000 outstanding warrants from courts across Delaware. It pulls from every Kent County court, so the same query covers Dover, Smyrna, Camden, and Harrington.

For a certified criminal history, the SBI office in Dover handles Kent County walk-ins at Blue Hen Corporate Center, 655 South Bay Road, Suite 1B. Hours run Monday 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Tuesday through Friday 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Appointments for IdentoGO help but are not required for walk-ins. The fee is $72 for a certified Delaware criminal history.

Kent County Sheriff and Warrant Service

The Kent County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants, court summons, civil process, and executes sheriff sales. It does not run criminal patrols. Sheriff Norman Barlow leads the office, with Chief Deputy Robert Daddio as the second-in-command.

The Kent County Sheriff's Office page has the full contact sheet and sheriff sale schedule.

Foreclosure sales happen the first Thursday of every month at 10:00 AM at the Kent County Levy Court building. Buyers must register by 9:45 AM and bring a $4,000 cashier's check per the policy in effect since May 2025.

Phone: (302) 736-2161. Email: norman.barlow@kentcountyde.gov. Checks payable to "Kent County Sheriff" are used for service fees and sale deposits.

James T. Vaughn Correctional Center

Kent County is home to the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC), Delaware's Level 5 maximum security prison for men. The facility sits at 325 West Glenwood Avenue in Smyrna, on the northern edge of Kent County. It holds roughly 2,500 inmates across minimum, medium, and maximum security housing. Death-sentenced inmates are housed here as well.

The JTVCC page on the DOC site has the visitation schedule and phone numbers.

Visits run Monday through Sunday with day slots starting at 9:00 AM and evening slots Monday through Thursday from 5:30 PM. Visitors book in advance by phone based on the inmate's last name (A-J at 1-800-282-8602, K-Z at 1-800-722-0252).

To confirm that someone arrested in Kent County ended up here, run their name through VINELink via the DOC inmate locator. You can set free notifications by phone, text, or email for any change in custody.

Money deposits for inmates go through GTL ConnectNetwork online or through money orders mailed to JTVCC Inmate Accounting. Minimum deposit is $5, maximum single deposit is $300, and monthly cap is $500.

Delaware State Police in Kent County

Delaware State Police Troop 3 in Camden patrols all of Kent County from the New Castle line down to the Sussex border. Troop 9 in Odessa covers the northern tip. Troop 3 handles traffic enforcement, criminal investigations, warrant execution, and fingerprinting for background checks.

The troop station at 3759 South State Street is a 31,000 square foot building with interview rooms, holding cells, a fingerprint area, and evidence processing.

The Troop 3 Camden page has the non-emergency phone, address, and commander info. About 100 sworn staff work out of Troop 3.

Key phone numbers:

• Emergency: 911
• Troop 3 non-emergency: (302) 739-4863
• Troop 3 administration: (302) 697-4454
• Crime Stoppers: 1-800-TIP-3333

Troop 3 news releases appear in the Delaware State Police arrest archive. Kent County items usually include the troop name and location in the headline, so you can sort by area.

FOIA Requests for Kent County Arrest Records

When a Kent County arrest record is not online, the Kent County Levy Court handles the Freedom of Information Act intake for county agencies.

The Kent County Levy Court FOIA page has the online submission form and mail-in option.

Public Information Officer Kelly Pitts runs the program. You can submit online, by email at PIO@kentcountyde.gov, by fax at 302-736-2279, or by mail to 555 Bay Road in Dover. The county has 15 business days to respond, per 29 Del. C. § 10003(h).

Fees are light. The first 20 pages of black-and-white copies are free. Extra pages cost $0.10 per sheet. Labor fees may apply for complex pulls and get billed in quarter-hour increments at the lowest capable staff rate. Fee waivers are available for nonprofits and journalists under 29 Del. C. § 10003(m).

Appeals go to the Delaware Attorney General within 60 days of denial. If the AG sides with the requester, the county must release or face a suit in Superior Court under 29 Del. C. § 10005(b). For police-specific records, the request goes to Dover Police or Delaware State Police rather than the Levy Court.

Cities in Kent County

Kent County cities file cases with the Kent County Courthouse in Dover. Pick a city for its local police unit, FOIA portal, and arrest press page.

Nearby Delaware Counties

If the arrest happened north or south of Kent County, check the page for New Castle or Sussex.