MISSION
STATEMENT:
The Mission of the Delaware State Police Troop 7 Citizen Advisory Council is
to strengthen and enhance the relationship between the Delaware State Police and the communities they serve.
STRATEGY:
The Council shall meet regularly to discuss police services, relevant and topical
issues relating to public safety, community–police education and inter-community relations. It shall also discuss other
pertinent quality of life issues and will make recommendations to Delaware State Police Troop Commanders.
VISION:
We envision growing awareness, trust, relationships
and resources; resulting in
reduced crime, safer communities and greater quality
of life.
Article I
NAME
The Council shall be known as the Delaware State
Police Troop 7 Citizen Advisory Council. The common accepted acronym shall be ( DSPCAC ).
Article II
AUTHORITY
This Council shall be established, administered, operated and/or dissolved in accordance
with the applicable provisions set forth herein or by any act, law or local directives permitting such authority.
Article III
DURATION
This Council shall continue in existence until its dissolution by a two-thirds (2/3) majority
vote of members present at any meeting of the general membership authorized to transact business and with the approval of
the Commander of the Delaware State Police.
Article IV
MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Council shall be on a voluntary basis and shall be generally representative of the population
of the Troop 7 area. The privilege of full membership shall be the only recognized association. There shall not be any associate
or honorary memberships. Membership shall be by invitation only after a screening conducted by the Delaware State Police.
Screening of members will include a criminal background check. A member applicant
qualifications and merits of involvement may be discussed at open Council meetings and inclusion shall be denied or withdrawn
under such conditions as prescribed by a majority of the Council membership.
Nominations for membership may be derived from other Council members, Troop officers and Command and the
public may volunteer.
Membership will not be made or denied because of sex, age, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national
origin. The Council will strive to maintain a membership of no greater than twenty (20) nor fewer than thirteen (13) people
from the territory served by the authority of the Delaware State Police to Troop 7, Lewes, Delaware. All members of the Council will serve without compensation, however, a bona fide pre-approved expenditure
or expense may be reimbursed.
Membership will be for terms of two years, the first panel established will be set for staggered terms of
one and two years. Four years will be the maximum assignment a person may serve without intermission of their service for
a period of six months or being an officer. An officer’s term shall be for three years and may be for two terms. Nominations
for election of officers shall be from the floor and by a hand vote, unless otherwise prescribed by a majority of the membership
attending a meeting established for the purpose of election of officers.
The unexcused absences of three (3) consecutive meetings shall be cause for removal from the Council. Excused
absence shall be deemed made upon notification by email to a Council officer.
Article V
MEETINGS
Regular meetings of the Council will be held on the fourth (4th) Thursday of
the month at 7:00
p.m. unless otherwise noticed and
at a place to be determined by the Chair or Troop Commander. As a public body FOIA requirements will be satisfied.
Special meetings and more particularly Committee meetings may be called at any time for the purpose of conducting
operational business in preparation of the regular meeting. It shall be the responsibility
of the Committee to notify committee participants, the Troop Commander and the officers of any impending meeting at least
five (5) business days in advance.
Article VI
COMMITTEES
The membership will establish at a regularly conducted meeting, at least annually, standing
committees or as necessary to assist in the operational objective of the Council. Committees will conduct themselves where
applicable in accordance with the Council By-laws.
It shall be the responsibility of each Committee to select a Chair and someone to transcribe
minutes, or one may be of the same.
Committees will have the obligation to prepare a report and designate a spokesperson to
present any information relevant to the agenda item where appropriate.
Article VII
OFFICERS
Operation of the Council will be directed by the Commander of Troop 7. The Council shall select, by election, from its membership a Council Chairperson. A Vice-Chair and recording
Secretary shall likewise be elected from among the membership
The Troop Commander may assign staff under command as support or liaison to the Council of any committee
established hereunder at will.
Article VIII
DUTIES
The Chair will assume the authority to conduct meetings, make committee assignments and organize the general
purpose of the Council as required by existing conditions, the proposed agenda and Bylaws and pertinent directives and regulations
as may from time to time be presented. In absence of the Chair the Vice-Chair will assume the same duties.
In the absence of more than two officers, the remaining officer shall designate in turn
one member to conduct the meeting and another member to record minutes of the meeting.
The recording Secretary or designee will be responsible for preparing minutes of the general meeting and
keeping all other records as required. The minutes will show; the date, time and place of the meeting, the members present
and those absent as excused, include an overview of remarks of any guest speaker, the agenda as adopted, approval of prior
minutes, any unfinished and new business and the committee reports. The minutes will be composed and upon completion transmitted
to the membership via email for review and subsequent adoption for approval at the next following regular meeting of the Council. Corrections, adjustments or alterations may be submitted to the Secretary in advance.
It shall be the requirement of
all members to keep the Council apprised of a current email address. Likewise, it shall be the responsibility of the members
to remain diligent of any change of meeting date, location or time of he regular meeting. General communication will be conducted
through email or by use of the Council website. dsp7cac.tripod.com
Article IX
VOTING, DECISIONS and DISUSSIONS
Each member of the Council will be entitled to one vote at a general membership meeting
for any issue presented. A majority vote of members present at any meeting, authorized to transact business, will be sufficient
for any business, except that of amendments to Bylaws (see Article X). Regular business
of the Council may be conducted at any meeting; however business ‘requiring a vote’ may only be conducted when
a quorum of the membership is present at the meeting to transact said business.
Although Robert’s Rules of Order will be the guiding force of conducting a meeting,
it is declared that a modified version will be systematically applied for the convenient course of making a competent agenda.
A vote by proxy, signed and delivered to a Council Officer shall be counted in the voting process for any issue before the
Council.
The Council may have before it sensitive, proprietary and other subject matter that may
fall into exception to FOIA requirements. Therefore, the Troop Commander and/or the Council Chair will be the designated spokespersons
for the Council and the Troop. Any media contact will be handled by them and only them and all inquiries made to any other
Council Members shall be referred to them without additional comment.
Article X
AMENDMENTS
Every proposed alteration, amendment, addition or eradication to these Bylaws must be
made in writing to the Chair of the Council. The Chair shall cause the request to be distributed to the members at least one
week prior to the next general meeting, at which time it may be adopted by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present.
Once adopted as aforesaid, any such alteration, amendment or addition or eradication shall become effective upon approval.
