Editing Wilmington, Delaware (section)

==Government==
The Wilmington City Council consists of thirteen members. The council consists of eight members who are elected from geographic districts, four elected at-large and the City Council President. The Council President is elected by the entire city. The [[Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware|Mayor of Wilmington]] is also elected by the entire city.

The current mayor of Wilmington is [[John Carney (Delaware politician)|John Carney]] (D).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.delawarepublic.org/politics-government/2025-01-08/former-gov-john-carney-sworn-in-as-wilmington-mayor-alongside-new-members-of-city-council | title=Former Gov. John Carney sworn in as Wilmington mayor alongside new members of City Council | date=January 8, 2025 |publisher=Delaware Public Media|author-first1=Sarah|author-last1=Petrowich}}</ref> The current city council members are listed in the table below.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Council Members – Wilmington City Council|url=https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/council-members/|access-date=July 18, 2021|language=en|archive-date=July 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718015647/https://www.wilmingtoncitycouncil.com/council-members/|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! District !! Councilperson !! Party !! First elected<br />since|-
|-
|President || Ernest "Trippi" Congo II || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2017
|-
|Treasurer|| DaWayne Sims|| {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic|| 2020
|-
|1 || Coby J. Owens || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic || 2024
|-
|2 || Shané Darby|| {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2020
|-
|3 || Zanthia Oliver || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2017
|-
|4 || Michelle Harlee || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2017
|-
|5 || Chrisitan Willauer || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic || 2024
|-
|6 || Yolanda McCoy || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2017
|-
|7 || Chris Johnson || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2020
|-
|8 || Nathan Field || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2020
|-
|rowspan=4|At-Large || Maria Cabrera|| {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Democratic || 2020
|-
| Alexander D. Hackett|| {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic || 2024
|-
| James Spadola || {{Party shading/Republican}}|Republican || 2020
|-
| Latisha Bracy || {{Party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic || 2024
|}

The [[Delaware Department of Correction]] [[Howard R. Young Correctional Institution]], renamed from Multi-Purpose Criminal Justice Facility in 2004 and housing both pretrial and posttrial male prisoners, is located in Wilmington. The prison is often referred to as the "Gander Hill Prison" after the neighborhood it is located in. The prison opened in 1982.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://doc.delaware.gov/BOP/PrisonMPCJF.shtml |title=Howard R. Young Correctional Institution |date=August 18, 2010
|work=[[Delaware Department of Correction]] |publisher=State of Delaware |archive-date=August 18, 2010 |access-date=August 30, 2010
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818232419/http://www.doc.delaware.gov/BOP/PrisonMPCJF.shtml }}</ref>

Many Wilmington City workers belong to one of several Locals of the [[American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees]] union.<ref>{{cite news |title=Unions' pact with Wilmington saves 235 jobs  |first=Mike  |last=Chalmers  |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110514/NEWS02/105140352/-1/NLETTER01/Unions--pact-with-Wilmington-saves-235-jobs  |newspaper=[[The News Journal]]  |publisher=Gannett  |location=New Castle, Delaware  |date=May 14, 2011 |at=DelawareOnline  |access-date=May 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525083304/https://www.webcitation.org/5ygFHNXjm?url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110514/NEWS02/105140352/-1/NLETTER01/Unions--pact-with-Wilmington-saves-235-jobs%3Fsource=nletter-news |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

===Crime===
{{Infobox UCR
|city_name= Wilmington
|year= 2019
|homicide= 24
|rape= 19
|robbery= 326
|aggravated_assault= 689
|violent_crime= 1,058
|burglary= 569
|larceny_theft= 2,121
|motor_vehicle_theft= 460
|arson= 2
|property_crime= 3,150
|source_url= https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/table-8/table-8-state-cuts/delaware.xls
|source_name= 2020 FBI UCR Data
|notes= 2019 population: 70,624
}}

Wilmington has recently overcome its safety woes and is "safer now than it's ever been" with crime at its lowest rate in recent history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wilmtoday.com/monthly-featured/encouraged-hopeful-and-committed-public-safety-in-wilmington-improved-greatly-in-2018|title=Encouraged, Hopeful and Committed: Public Safety in Wilmington Improved Greatly in 2018|publisher=WilmToday|date=January 11, 2019|access-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403132423/https://www.wilmtoday.com/monthly-featured/encouraged-hopeful-and-committed-public-safety-in-wilmington-improved-greatly-in-2018/|archive-date=April 3, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to 2018, Wilmington was consistently ranked among the most dangerous cities in the United States, along with several other cities in the [[Delaware Valley|Philadelphia Metropolitan Area]], such as [[Camden, New Jersey|Camden]], [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]], and [[Atlantic City, New Jersey|Atlantic City]], New Jersey, and [[Chester, Pennsylvania]]. In the 2000s, while most cities had seen a decrease in crime and murder, Wilmington had broken its record for homicides in a single year multiple times. In 2017, Wilmington saw an even steeper increase in crime. By August 2017, Wilmington had already eclipsed the homicide total of 2016 despite only being 2/3 through the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://data.delawareonline.com/webapps/crime/|title=Wilmington Shootings|website=data.delawareonline.com|language=en|access-date=August 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816064910/http://data.delawareonline.com/webapps/crime/|archive-date=August 16, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, Wilmington recorded 28 homicides, making for a rate of 39.5 per 100,000 residents, which is ten times the national average.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ucrdatatool.gov/Search/Crime/Local/RunCrimeJurisbyJuris.cfm|title=Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics|website=www.ucrdatatool.gov|access-date=August 15, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=July 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Wilmington frequently appears on [[NeighborhoodScout|NeighborhoodScout's]] "Top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the United States" list. In 2017, Wilmington was ranked as the 5th most dangerous city in the US.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/blog/top100dangerous|title=Top 100 most dangerous places to live in the USA - NeighborhoodScout|date=January 1, 2017|work=NeighborhoodScout|access-date=August 15, 2017|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305074810/https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/blog/top100dangerous|archive-date=March 5, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Nearby cities such as Camden, New Jersey, and Chester, Pennsylvania, also ranked in the top 15. In early 2017, the mayor's office as well as many public advocates called for comprehensive action to reduce astronomical crime rates in Wilmington, as the city saw a shooting almost every other day throughout the spring, and by May, the city had already seen 15 homicides. According to the WPD's 2018 Compstat report, shooting incidents have decreased to a level not seen in Wilmington in more than 15 years. When compared to the average number of shooting incidents from 2003 through 2017, which is 108, the 72 shooting incidents in 2018 represent a 33% decrease over the 15-year period average.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-police-department/compstat-reports|title=COMPSTAT REPORTS|publisher=City of Wilmington, DE|access-date=April 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403133425/https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-police-department/compstat-reports|archive-date=April 3, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Police===
{{More citations needed section|date=May 2011}}
[[File:Wilmington, Delaware police van.jpg|thumb|left|WPD van at Rodney Square]]

The Wilmington Police Department (WPD), is authorized to deploy up to 289 officers in motor vehicles, on foot, and on bicycle. Its operations are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. As of 2023, its chief of police is Wilfredo Campos.<ref>{{cite web |title=Department of Police |url=https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-police-department/wpd-command-staff |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409113502/https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/government/public-safety/wilmington-police-department/wpd-command-staff |archive-date=April 9, 2023 |access-date=September 25, 2023 |publisher=City of Wilmington}}</ref>

In 2002, the Wilmington Police Department started a program known to some in the neighborhoods as ''jump-outs'' in which unmarked police vans would patrol crime-prone neighborhoods late at night, suddenly converge at street corners where people were [[loitering]] and detain them temporarily. Using loitering as probable cause, the police would then photograph, search, and [[fingerprint]] everyone present. Along with apprehending anyone with drugs or weapons, it was thought that this program would improve the police's database of fingerprints and [[eye-witness]]es for use in future crime investigations. Some citizens protested that such a practice was a violation of [[civil right]]s.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Taylor|first=Adam|date=August 25, 2002|title=Wilmington police photo policy under fire|newspaper=The News Journal|publisher=The News Journal Co.|location=Wilmington, DE|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2002/08/25wilmingtonpolic.html|url-status=dead|access-date=October 30, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020901111015/http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2002/08/25wilmingtonpolic.html|archive-date=September 1, 2002}}</ref>

Also in 2002, the entire downtown business district was placed under video monitoring. Wilmington was the first city in the United States to monitor the entire business district using video monitoring. The city claims this has helped prevent and reduce crime.<ref>{{Cite web|date=November 8, 2002|title=Mayor Baker And Downtown Visions Announce Expansion And Completion Of The City's Downtown Video Safety Partnership Program|url=http://www.ci.wilmington.de.us/pressreleases/pr021108.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208032411/http://www.ci.wilmington.de.us/pressreleases/pr021108.htm|archive-date=December 8, 2002|access-date=October 5, 2020|website=City of Wilmongton Press Release}}</ref>

===Fire department and EMS===
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2021}}
The Wilmington Fire Department (WFD) is led by Chief John Looney<ref>{{Cite press release|title=John Looney Is Appointed Chief of the Wilmington Fire Department|url=https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/Home/Components/News/News/5475/225|access-date=June 9, 2021|website=City News {{!}} Wilmington, DE|archive-date=June 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609175015/https://www.wilmingtonde.gov/Home/Components/News/News/5475/225|url-status=live}}</ref> and maintains five engine companies, two ladder companies, a rescue squad company, and a marine company (fireboat) fire fighting fleet.

Emergency medical services are provided through contract with the city's St. Francis Hospital, whose EMS division operates a minimum five BLS transport units at all times of the day. Advanced Life Support services in the City of Wilmington are provided by New Castle County's EMS Division with two city-based medic units. All Wilmington firefighters since 2002 are trained to the EMT-B level and serve as first responders for life-threatening emergencies.