Local news- Press Release
Wilmington Delaware - Wilmington s Community Public Safety Initiative CPSI Issues Update on Wilmington Street Team Program 01 February 2024 ( news )
Wilmington , state Delaware ( By Press Release office)
Feb 01,2024
| 21| 1
The Team’s violence intervention efforts have focused on the East Side
and Prices Run communities of the City
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Dr . Debra Mason , Director of the City’s Community Public Safety Initiative ( CPSI ) , today issued the latest update on the Wilmington Street Team ( WST ) , an anti - violence program launched in June 2023 as part of the City’s Community Public Safety Initiative ( CPSI ) , which began in 2022 . Today’s report covers the program’s work from September 1 – December 31 , 2023 . You can review the report online
here
.
Street team members utilize the Community Violence Intervention ( CVI ) approach—an evidence - informed strategy to disrupt violence and retaliation cycles and establish community relationships—to decrease crime in Wilmington . The WST is composed of a group of non - profits actively involved in improving the overall well - being of Wilmington residents . The group includes the
Center for Structural Equity
( CFSE ) , the
Youth Advocate Programs
( YAP ) , and
Network Connect
( NC ) . CFSE and YAP handle “high - risk” interventions , working with individuals between the ages of 13 and 26 to decrease the likelihood they will engage in negative behaviors while Network Connect provides wrap - around services to individuals who are not deemed to be “high risk . ”
On June 8 , 2023 , Dr . Mason collected the first crime statistics for East Side and Prices Run—two areas of the City with the highest rate of crime at that time . Focusing all available resources on those communities , YAP took responsibility for Prices Run while CFSE was responsible for the East Side . The organizations were charged with responding to incidents , providing interventions , and conducting community engagement in their designated areas . As a result of their efforts , these two areas saw a decrease in crime by the end of 2023 – the only districts ( District 11 and District 13 ) that ended the year with reduced total crime
according to the Wilmington Police Department
.
Highlights from the Wilmington Street Team’s report include:
WPD reported 91 dispatch calls to the WST coverage areas – Zones 1 - 8 – between September 1 and December 31 , 2023; the highest number of calls was for Zone 6 ( 24 ) , which was a nearly 7% decrease for the same zone from June through August .
Of Wilmington’s 9 total police districts , District 11 ( Zones 5 - 8 ) and District 13 ( Zones - 14 ) were the only two to see a decrease in crime in 2023 , including decreases in all areas: shooting incidents , shooting victims , juvenile shooting incidents , juvenile shooting victims , and theft ( misdemeanor ) .
WST had a total number of 210 community encounters between September 1 and December 31 , 2023– 79 in Zones 1 - 4 , 83 in Zones 5 - 8 , and 48 outside of Zones 1 - 8 . These included agency referrals following a shooting , providing safe passage to schoolchildren , redirecting teens to prosocial activities , and providing Narcan to community members .
WST has shown a direct correlation between an increase in community encounters and a decrease in the number of police dispatch calls .
WST hosted 11 community events , hosted numerous community meetings , and provided services to more than 660 community members between September 1 and December 31 , 2023 . Events included a community cleanup , a clothing drive , a Thanksgiving dinner , and a Winter Festival , among others .
Mayor Purzycki thanked Dr . Mason and praised the efforts of the Wilmington Street Team , continues to have a significant effect on the East Side and Prices Run neighborhoods . The Mayor also noted that most serious crime categories have decreased in Wilmington as the City continues to record some of its most encouraging crime reduction numbers in years . The Mayor credited the efforts of the Wilmington Police Department , the Community Public Safety Initiative , and residents throughout City neighborhoods who are working together to hold crime numbers down .
Paul Ford Jr .
Director of Communications
City of Wilmington , Office of the Mayor
Mobile: ( 302 ) 530 - 2171
Email:
plford@WilmingtonDE . gov
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