Nearly three months into 2011, robberies are down 30-percent in Wilmington.
However, city officials and police are very mindful that 2010 was a record year for violent crime as 27 people were killed and nearly 150 people were shot.
Now, Delaware has developed a plan of action to address violent crime statewide through coordination and prevention measures.
It will start in Delaware’s largest city.
“Operation: Pressure Point” will begin in Wilmington April 1, when 10 Delaware State police troopers will be deployed with city officers to patrol known “hot spots” for about one year.
Additionally, Attorney General Beau Biden said his office will create a unit devoted to Wilmington, with the goal of assisting local law enforcement in expediting cases and, when necessary, seeking the highest bail possible “so people who should be off the street are kept off the street.”
“Violent crime affects every aspect of society throughout Delaware,” Governor Jack Markell said. “Kids don’t learn as well, businesses don’t grow as fast, and communities don’t thrive in places where the fear of violent crime flourishes.”
The two phases of “Operation: Pressure Point” will be enforcement, and long-term intelligence gathering and investigation. The enforcement component will address not just gun violence, but will also involve enhanced compliance checks of bars and restaurants by the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement, additional curfew checks focusing on probationers and youth offenders utilizing the Division of Probation and Parole and the Children’s Department, and two more DUI checkpoints in Wilmington funded by the state Office of Highway Safety.
"Operation Pressure Point" Explained:
Delaware Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security Lew Schiliro outlines the role of state police in the initiative.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Schiliro1.mp3|titles=Delaware Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security Lew Schiliro]
Wilmington Police Chief Michael Szczerba discusses how the initiative works with the city's current policing plan.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Szczerba1.mp3|titles=Wilmington Police Chief Michael Szczerba]
According to Delaware Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security Lew Schiliro, the troopers working in Wilmington initially will receive overtime as another class of recruits prepares to graduate in the next few months. Additional funding sources will also be sought to continue the effort into late 2011 and early 2012.
The State Police officers will not be answering calls for service or making arrests unless absolutely necessary, according to Schiliro. “Their job primarily is to enhance the patrol function Wilmington already does, to really engage the community,” he said.
Additionally, he believes the experience of urban policing will benefit the troopers as they continue their law enforcement careers. “It really will be, I think over time, a good experience for everybody,” Schiliro said.
Wilmington Police Chief Michael Szczerba’s department was forced to undertake a reduction-in-force by laying off five officers. One of them has been brought back on the job, and while the city continues to grapple with finances, Szczerba is pleased to see a full one-year commitment by the state to be involved in the city.
“This augments where we need to place those resources the most, where we are experiencing the most violence,” Szczerba said.
Collaborations with other law enforcement agencies have been implemented in Wilmington before. Additional state and New Castle County resources supplemented the efforts of Wilmington Police in 1997 when the city experienced a spike in shootings and violent crime.
The Governor directed top officials in his administration about a year ago to come up with a comprehensive approach to dealing with violent crime statewide. Markell said it was decided to start in Wilmington after he received requests from community leaders, elected officials and the state’s Black Caucus, headed by New Castle County Council member Jea Street.
Reaction to "Operation Pressure Point":
New Castle County Council member Jea Street is optimistic the program can make a real difference in Wilmington.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Street1.mp3|titles=New Castle County Council member Jea Street]
Wilmington City Council member Hanifa Shabazz is pleased state government responded to the request for help.
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Shabazz1.mp3|titles=Wilmington City Council member Hanifa Shabazz ]
Street said he is grateful that the Markell administration and the General Assembly are supporting the effort. “I am appreciative of the fact that there is going to be a collaborative effort, and I think that this is the beginning of the end for those hell-bent and determined to be a negative force in our community,” Street said.
Wilmington City Council member Hanifa Shabazz said she is pleased that the state responded to their request by developing a “holistic approach, which is not just policing.” Mayor James Baker thanked the Governor for getting “personally involved,” adding that it will take much more than strengthened policing to address the city’s problems.
“If it isn’t done across the board, from education to employment to all the other issues, you’re wasting your time,” Baker said.