Matt Denn was sworn in as State Attorney General Tuesday afternoon at the Police Athletic Club in Wilmington. He spoke to a packed house about reducing violent crime.
During his remarks he spoke about the lives of Jason Turner and Crystal Brown, two 2014 victims of gun violence.
"These are not statistics, these are fathers, mothers, sons and daughters who are lost to us forever, because people who never should have had guns senselessly shot them," said the Attorney General.
Denn said that even though crime is concentrated in certain areas, it affects the wellbeing of the entire state.
"When businesses don’t want to come here or stay here because of our violent crime rate, it affects all of us, when many of our state’s children can’t excel in school because they return home to neighborhoods full of chaos and despair, it affects all of us," he said.
The new Attorney General said his office will move swiftly in the coming weeks to address the crime issue.
Denn is proposing the addition of six foot patrol officers to walk Wilmington’s most dangerous blocks at night. He says he believes that six officers could have a significant impact on violent crime in the state’s largest city.
Denn added he will work with the legislature on bills that aim to keep violent offenders off the streets.
