Chief Bobby Cummings will no longer lead the Delaware State University Police force.
After a tumultuous winter for the Dover institution — students protesting campus safety, decrying the handling of sexual assault cases, filling hours of town hall meetings with passionate testimony — the former Wilmington police chief will soon vacate a position he filled roughly two years ago.
Delaware State confirmed the chief “will be retiring” from his position effective at the end of May. A university spokesperson told Delaware Online/The News Journal the move was voluntary.
“On behalf of the entire university community, we express our deepest appreciation for Chief Cummings dedicated service as the Chief of Police,” said Cleon Cauley, Delaware State’s chief operating officer, in a statement Tuesday. “His commitment to maintaining a safe and secure campus has been invaluable, and his leadership has positively impacted our students, faculty and staff.”
Cummings was the fourth chief on campus since the department’s establishment in 2000. Now, the university will be searching for its fifth while it continues to coordinate the ongoing response to student concerns.
Who is Chief Bobby Cummings?
Cummings had over 30 years of law enforcement experience in Delaware’s largest city before moving to Dover.
He oversaw both updated technology for the Wilmington department and further diversification of the force as its chief. The Georgia native also participated in President Barack Obama’s 21st Century Policing initiative, according to Delaware State.
The tenure wasn’t without criticism though, as previously reported by Delaware Online. Crime persisted in Wilmington. And the former chief and his boss, Mayor Dennis P. Williams, oversaw the disbanding of the community policing unit in January 2016, opting instead to adopt a department-wide mentality of community policing.
After stepping away from the Wilmington Police Department in 2017, he sought public office. A 2018 run for state Senate proved unsuccessful.
By October 2021, Cummings became the chief of Public Safety and Delaware State University Police.
The historically Black university would see its largest growth ever recorded by fall 2022, marking a 40% expansion in the last decade and the largest class in over 130 years. COO Cauley, to whom Cummings reported as chief of police, praised his leadership during this period.
In addition to recent unrest reaching a fever pitch by late January, a September shooting also rocked campus under his watch. Students and parents expressed frustration at the lack of transparent communication in both incidents.
What’s been happening at DSU?
Delaware State has been rolling out its response to explosive student protests and subsequent unrest.
Hundreds of students filled a campus street Jan. 18 to protest concerns with security, as well as how their university handles cases of sexual assault on campus. Many students shared stories, with some saying they didn’t feel safe walking home at night, and others claiming survivors are not taken seriously when reporting assaults.
Town hall meetings, some closed to the public, followed as President Tony Allen crafted his university response just days later.
A new “Safe Space Coalition” to assess safety protocol would join promises to upgrade campus lighting and cameras, update the blue lights system, garner body cameras for university police, as well as assess existing escort services and counseling hours.
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A key fixture of that response recently came under fire after Delaware Online reported that the university was requiring any student or member of the coalition to sign confidentiality agreements first.
Delaware State has since dropped the requirement, calling it a step “too far.” Allen says the coalition is tasked with monthly reporting to the university community.
The coalition was awarded last month a $300,000 grant to assist in developing its sexual assault response and prevention program over two years. The “Safe Space Project” will be housed at DSU Downtown, Delaware State announced March 6. The university also committed to continuing its funding after these two years.
As Chief Cummings prepares to step away from the university, a timeline for his replacement remains unclear.
