The
Delaware River and Bay Authority or
DRBA is a bi-state government agency of the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
states of
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
established by
interstate compactAn interstate compact is an agreement between two or more states of the United States of America. Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution provides that "no state shall enter into an agreement or compact with another state" without the consent of Congress...
in 1961.
The authority operates the
Delaware MemorialThe Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 between Delaware and New Jersey...
twin suspension bridges, the
Cape May-Lewes FerryThe Cape May – Lewes Ferry is a ferry system that traverses a 17-mile crossing of the Delaware Bay to connect Cape May, New Jersey with Lewes, Delaware. The ferry doubles as a section of U.S. Route 9.-The system:...
between
Cape MayCape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and
LewesLewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
,
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, the
Three Forts Ferry CrossingThree Forts Ferry Crossing is a ferry system on the Delaware River which serves Forts DuPont and Delaware in Delaware and Fort Mott in New Jersey. The Delafort ferry, which serves the three points, is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority....
and the Salem County Business Center.
The authority operates several aviation facilities in both New Jersey and Delaware, including
New Castle AirportNew Castle Airport , also known as the New Castle County Airport, is a public airport located in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, United States and four miles south of the central business district of the city of Wilmington....
,
Cape May AirportCape May Airport , also known as Cape May County Airport, is a public airport located in Lower Township, New Jersey, United States, about four miles northwest of the central business district of Wildwood, a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States...
, Millville Airport,
Delaware AirparkDelaware Airpark is a public airport serves the Dover area and is located one mile west of the central business district of Cheswold, a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority....
and the Civil Air Terminal at Dover AFB. The New Castle Airport is the largest air facility operated by the DRBA. The DRBA fields its own police department to conduct law enforcement operations at its facilities.
Police department
The
Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department is a department of the DRBA with limited jurisdiction in both
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and
DelawareDelaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. The department is mainly responsible for security at the
Delaware Memorial BridgeThe Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River. The toll bridges carry Interstate 295 and U.S. Route 40 between Delaware and New Jersey...
, but also provides security at the
New Castle AirportNew Castle Airport , also known as the New Castle County Airport, is a public airport located in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, United States and four miles south of the central business district of the city of Wilmington....
(and the Corporate Complex located adjacent to the New Castle Airport), the Civil Air Terminal at
Dover Air Force BaseDover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located two miles southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware.-Units:...
,
Delaware AirparkDelaware Airpark is a public airport serves the Dover area and is located one mile west of the central business district of Cheswold, a town in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority....
in
DoverThe city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
, the
Three Forts Ferry CrossingThree Forts Ferry Crossing is a ferry system on the Delaware River which serves Forts DuPont and Delaware in Delaware and Fort Mott in New Jersey. The Delafort ferry, which serves the three points, is operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority....
in Delaware City, the Cape May−Lewes Ferry,
Millville Municipal AirportMillville Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Millville, a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States...
and
Cape May AirportCape May Airport , also known as Cape May County Airport, is a public airport located in Lower Township, New Jersey, United States, about four miles northwest of the central business district of Wildwood, a city in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States...
.
History
The Department was formed in 1951 as the Delaware Memorial Bridge Police Department. After a
compactAn interstate compact is an agreement between two or more states of the United States of America. Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution provides that "no state shall enter into an agreement or compact with another state" without the consent of Congress...
between the states of Delaware and New Jersey was signed in 1962, the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) was created. The compact authorized the DRBA to operate the Delaware Memorial Bridge and to form its own police force. DRBA bridge officers were given powers of investigation,
detentionDetention is the process when a state, government or citizen lawfully holds a person by removing their freedom of liberty at that time. This can be due to criminal charges being raised against the individual as part of a prosecution or to protect a person or property...
and
arrestAn arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
on the crossings, transportation or terminal facilities and other projects and the approaches thereto, owned, operated, or controlled by the DRBA. As a result of the compact the
Delaware Memorial Bridge Police Department was renamed the
Delaware River and Bay Authority Police.
In 1964 a ferry service between
Cape May, New JerseyCape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
, and
Lewes, DelawareLewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
, was begun by the DRBA. In April 1984 a police station was opened in Cape May establishing a security presence. Another police station was opened in Lewes in January 1986.
The Authority took over airport management and operations at New Castle Airport following a 30-year lease agreement with New Castle County Council in May 1995 and the FAA's approval in June 1995. In November 1996, the department received the
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement AgenciesThe Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., is a credentialing authority , based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredited public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, training academies, communications centers, and campus public safety...
' national accreditation award. In November 2005, the Department was re-accredited by CALEA.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Delaware River and Bay Authority Police Department, 2 officers have died in the line of duty:
External links