Attorney General Matt Denn (D) is proposing a multifaceted, $36 million plan to target violent crime in Wilmington and around the state.
Unveiled Wednesday, the proposal would use the money to help target what Denn sees as the roots of violent crime, including education, housing and substance abuse programs.
The cash would go toward building new drug addiction treatment facilities, hiring new teachers at low income elementary schools and increasing affordable housing.
He says it’s not something that can wait – pointing out that there have been seven shootings since he took the oath of office that left three people dead.
“The folks who are living in some of these communities that are hardest hit by crime are going through a real crisis period. We have shootings happening on a regular basis both in [the City of Wilmington] and, increasingly, outside the city," said Denn.
"I don’t think that we can wait to address the problem, I think that we have to address it now.”
The $36 million comes from two major lawsuit settlements with Bank of America and Citigroup last year over their connection with toxic mortgage backed securities that spurred the Great Recession.
Former Attorney General Beau Biden’s administration joined with other states in those cases.
A news conference in Wilmington Wednesday detailing Denn’s proposal brought out dozens of supporters, including state lawmakers, and county and city officials.
Rep. Stephanie Bolden (D-Wilmington) endorsed the plan, but says there needs to be a commitment by state officials to not abandon it after this source of funding runs out.
“As administrations change, we want to still be able to go forth with the progress here in the City of Wilmington because it has stopped many times in the past,” said Bolden.
Funding for many of the proposals runs for three years, while the rest go toward programs awarding grants or are used as needed.
Since this cash has not been used in Gov. Jack Markell’s proposed budget, Rep. Mike Ramone (R-Middle Run Valley) says he hopes it means new spending on similar initiatives will be limited.
“I hope it creates an environment where the governor can tighten up the budget a bit and not try to insinuate that we need takes hikes," said Ramone.
"I just don’t think the economy has recovered to a point where people can digest more tax hikes.”
There may be speed bumps ahead for the plan if the past is any indication.
Biden’s administration drafted a similar plan last year with about $19 million in settlement money from JP Morgan Chase.
He focused more on housing and revitalizing blighted neighborhoods, but lawmakers on the budget writing Joint Finance Committee took offense to the plan that they said was too detailed.
The committee eventually did allocate some of that money according to the proposal, but used much of it to patch holes in an anemic budget year.
Cash is even tighter this year, though, as state budget officials picked the bones of past spending plans clean of any leftover pockets of money.
Still, Denn says he’s hopeful the plan will come together.
“It’s a very good sign to me that they’re going to deal with it in February rather than waiting until June when they deal with the rest of the budget. That alone indicates to me that they understand the urgency.”
Right now, the money is sitting in an escrow account and just needs JFC to sign off on a spending plan.
That permission may come as early as next month.