Two Wilmington elected officials want to create an Office of Community Safety for the city.
Mayor John Carney signed an executive order last week to create the office. Just three days later, Councilmember Shané Darby introduced an ordinance at a City Council meeting, seeking to establish an office of the same name.
Council discussed Darby proposing legislation to codify the office during last year’s budget season. She said she wasn’t aware of Carney’s executive order ahead of time.
“An executive order can create a policy temporarily, but it's not law, right?” Darby said. “Codifying something means that you put it into legislation so it becomes part of the official code.”
Councilmember Shané Darby’s proposed ordinance tasks the office with developing and implementing violence prevention and intervention methods.
Mayor John Carney signed an executive order to create the office separate from Darby’s initiative. He says he envisions the office strengthening public safety efforts through strong coordination.
“This office will help centralize and streamline efforts between the Mayor’s Office, Police, Fire, and our community partners,” Carney wrote in a statement to Delaware Public Media.
Carney’s office received an updated version of Darby’s ordinance. A representative for the office said it “aligns with our shared goals for the office.”
Darby said the office has been in the works for a long time.
“I'm happy he did it,” Darby said, referencing the executive order. “So now we got to codify, and I have the support of Councilmembers. He can't codify. He doesn't have that power. He just could do executive orders which are temporary.”
Darby added she has had several conversations with the Carney administration and is open to collaboration moving forward. She also said the legislation will cement the office’s presence in the city as a means to reduce violence.
Darby’s ordinance will also create a Community Safety Advisory Committee and call for annual reporting.
She expects the ordinance will win her colleague’s votes at a Council meeting in April.
