Presentation to the Police Accountability Committee

Thank you for giving Speak Out Against Hate the opportunity to speak with you today.

SOAH’s Mission

Speak Out Against Hate was founded to confront and counter hate, bias, and discrimination in our community and to promote understanding, respect, and inclusion.

An important part of that mission is bringing people together—residents, young people, law enforcement, first responders, businesses, public officials, schools, and community organizations—to strengthen communication and build trust.

SOAH’s Involvement with Law Enforcement and First Responders

SOAH has worked to develop positive relationships with Police Accountability Committees and with law enforcement through our First Responders Action Group.

We believe that public safety and community trust go hand in hand. Our goal is to help create opportunities for honest dialogue, identify concerns when they arise, and work together toward better outcomes.

Why the May 19 Incident Is Important to SOAH

The events in Rehoboth Beach on May 19 raised several concerns for us.

One was the possibility of racial overtones in some of the reporting and public discussion surrounding the event. Even when race is not explicitly mentioned, the words and images used to describe an incident can influence how the public perceives the people involved.

We were also concerned about the widespread use of the word “takeover.” Although that terminology was associated with the youth gathering itself, once it was repeated publicly, it created an image that frightened many residents and business owners.

Words matter. How an event is described can affect public perception, heighten fear, and influence the community's response.

Better Communication

One of the most important lessons we see from this incident is the need for better communication among everyone involved—young people and event organizers, city officials, business owners, law enforcement, community organizations, and residents.

When information is incomplete or moves quickly through social media, rumors and assumptions can fill the void. Clear, timely, factual communication can help prevent unnecessary fear and misunderstanding.

We believe it would be valuable to establish clearer communication procedures before, during, and after large or rapidly developing community events.

Building Trust Through Youth-Police Relationships

We also believe there is an important opportunity to strengthen relationships between young people and law enforcement before a problem occurs.

If the first meaningful interaction a young person has with a police officer occurs during a confrontation, both sides may enter that interaction with mistrust or apprehension.

We would like to see more opportunities for police officers and young people to get to know one another in non-enforcement settings—through schools, youth organizations, community programs, informal conversations, sports, and other activities.

Young people should have opportunities to ask officers questions, understand their responsibilities, and express their own concerns and experiences. Officers, in turn, have an opportunity to know the young people they serve as individuals rather than first encountering them during a difficult situation.

Our Recommendations

SOAH would encourage the Police Accountability Committee and law-enforcement agencies to consider several questions:

Are there ways to improve communication among law enforcement, city officials, businesses, community organizations, and residents during rapidly developing events?

How can we create stronger and more consistent relationships between law enforcement and young people in Sussex County?

Would additional training be helpful in areas such as youth engagement, implicit bias, de-escalation, crowd management, and culturally responsive communication?

And finally, can community organizations such as SOAH serve as partners in helping build these relationships?

Our purpose in raising these questions is forward-looking. We cannot change what happened on May 19, but we can learn from it.

Our shared goal should be a community in which residents, young people, businesses, public officials, and law enforcement communicate with one another, trust one another, and work together to keep our communities both safe and welcoming.