Dover, Delaware | Police Funding Database | LDF

Dover at a glance

Population by race and Hispanic origin

Key	Awarding Agency	Amount in Dollars
	White, not Hispanic or Latino	13,574
	Black or African American	17,831
	American Indian and Alaska native	55
	Asian	1,168
	Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0
	Two or More Races	2,578
	Hispanic or Latino	4,280

Cities in this database with the most similarly-sized populations

Full-time law enforcement staff, Dover Police Department

104 Officers
35 Civilian staff

Full-time law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents

1.7 National average, cities with 25,000 to 49,999 population
2.2 National average

Federal grant funding for Dover

Data was last updated May 1, 2026

We identified over $1.3M in federal grant funding, FY 2016-2026

Grant funding over time

Grant funding by federal department

Key	Awarding Agency	Amount in Dollars
	Department of Justice	$1,342,277

Recent grants

USA spending grants for: Dover
Amount	Start and end dates	Recipient and description	Awarding agency	CFDA program	Type
$75,888.00	10/1/2023 9/30/2027	CITY OF DOVER THE DISPARATE JURISDICTIONS OF THE DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT, SMYRNA POLICE DEPARTMENT AND KENT COUNTY, DELAWARE WILL USE JAG FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF24 MONTHS SUBSCRIPTION OF IN-CAR CAMERAS TOENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPARENCY IN LAW ENFORCEMENTWHILE THE SMYRNA POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL USE FUNDS …	Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs	16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program	Prime
$600,000.00	12/29/2022 12/31/2025	CITY OF DOVER THE FY 2023 COPS OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT PROGRAM (TEP) IS AN INVITATION-ONLY GRANT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AND ACQUIRE EFFECTIVE EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGIES, AND INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS THAT ASSIST IN RESPONDING TO AND PREVENTING CRIME. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR PROJECTS …	Department of Justice Offices, Boards and Divisions	16.710 Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants	Prime
$375,000.00	10/1/2022 9/30/2027	CITY OF DOVER THE PURPOSE OF THE COPS HIRING PROGRAM (CHP) PROGRAM IS TO ADVANCE THE PRACTICE OF COMMUNITY POLICING THROUGH THE HIRE OR REHIRE OF ADDITIONAL CAREER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. FUNDING UNDER THIS AWARD PROGRAM WILL BE UTILIZED BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO HIRE AND REHIRE CAREER LAW ENFORCEM…	Department of Justice Offices, Boards and Divisions	16.710 Public Safety Partnership and Community Policing Grants	Prime
$85,945.00	10/1/2022 9/30/2026	CITY OF DOVER THE DISPARATE JURISDICTIONS OF THE DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT, SMYRNA POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND KENT COUNTY WILL USE JAG FUNDS FOR TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS, EQUIPMENT, AND TRAINING. THE DOVER POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL FUND SPECIAL OPERATION RESPONSE TEAM (SORT) TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT. THE SMYRNA POLICE DEPAR…	Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs	16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program	Prime

View all grants

Military equipment transfers

We were unable to locate any military equipment transfers for this location using the LESO Property Transferred to Participating Agencies database published by the Defense Logistics Agency. It is possible that this location has acquired military equipment for policing via other sources or programs.

Local police misconduct data, consent decrees, and settlements

Data last updated April 22, 2026

Settlements

We identified 1 publicly reported settlement that resulted in $20,000.00 in monetary compensation to victims.

Settlements
Year	Description	Outcome
2024	In September 2024, the City of Dover, Delaware, agreed to a $200,000 settlement with ShaRon Caldwell, who accused Dover Police Department Officers Dale Starke and James Piazza of using excessive force and misrepresenting their actions in police reports. On May 13, 2020, Starke and Piazza stopped Caldwell for an apparent headlight infraction while her car was parked outside her home. According to the lawsuit, when she complied with the officers’ requests to exit her car, Starke grabbed her arm and Caldwell pulled her arm away. Starke and Piazza then allegedly slammed her to the ground. The force broke Caldwell’s leg in two places and required surgical repair, according to the lawsuit. The suit further alleged that the officers provided inconsistent accounts of the incident in their reports, and that the traffic stop was racially motivated. Sources Xerxes Wilson, "Why settlement will stop public from knowing what led Dover police to break woman’s leg", Delaware News Journal, December 02, 2024 Delaware Online [@delawareonline], "Dover officials agreed to a six-figure settlement to end a lawsuit filed after their police officers broke a woman’s leg during a traffic stop in 2020", [Photograph]. Instagram, December 02, 2024	Compensation $20,000.00