Ditch the Seige Mentality, It’s Hurting Wilmington
It isn’t news that cities like Camden, NJ and Philadelphia, PA are reducing their violent crime statistics. I’ve been posting that news along with most of the posts I write here about the current situation in Wilmington. What these cities have done includes re-orienting themselves to data and intelligence-driven forces, able to address crime hot spots and get out in front of crime — rather than simply wait for a phone call to respond to. Heck, even the SEPTA has moved to a data-driven policing model and is clearly bending the curve on their own crime problem.
So what’s wrong with Wilmington? Last night (May 12), there was a Town Hall where Mayor Dennis Williams presented himself to Wilmington residents to talk about the city’s issues. I wasn’t at this event at the Woodlawn library — mainly because this Town Hall didn’t get announced to the world until May 11 around 11:15 AM. (This has been the odd thing about these Town Halls, they aren’t announced until the last minute and often look like counterprogramming against something that isn’t making the Administration look good, or against someone they want to make a point with. A recent Southbridge Town Hall was held the same night as Tom Gordon’s State of the County address. They scheduled a Town Hall at Bayard Middle for the same night as the last Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission meeting — called off at the last minute after everyone howled at them. This one was about the same time as AG Matt Denn’s meetings in Hilltop and Hedgeville about the extra patrols they are funding. Juvenile, certainly. But if you followed Tom Lehman’s tweets on this, it seems that the Fire Chief has been responsible for scheduling these town halls. Remember when I was arging that the WFD was too large for a city this size? Right?)
But it seems that about 50 or so Wilmingtonians showed up to listen to the Mayor get belligerent, defensive, evasive, paranoid and just plain rude with them. Right out of the box, he was asked about the WPSSC recommendations and he decided to let everyone know that this report was just politics — by people who wanted to make him bad. He told folks that thee would be a “press conference” at some date to be named later to talk about what the city’s response would be. Keep in mind that this report was released on March 31. And that there have been neighborhood groups writing to Williams asking for the implementation of this report and a new petition asking for specific action to deal with the city’s violence. Chief Cummings told the world in the WPD budget hearing that they were already working on implementing most of the recommendations, but when asked which ones, he could not remember. Yet, they are supposedly doing all of this implementation yet no one can talk about it. We’re waiting for a Press Conference.
This report is the plan to address Wilmington’s crime issues that Williams said he would deliver when he was campaigning. His plan never really materialized (what he passed off as his plan is basically a copy of a bunch of programs the former Chief implemented, hoping that no one would notice), which is why the violence continues. Operation Disrupt has some mixed success (since 3 shootings have occurred within 4 blocks of my house since Easter, it is always going to look mixed to me)– but it is not a sustainable effort. The WPSSC Report (here is a shorter version of just the prioritized recommendations) focuses on providing the WPD a roadmap to transforming itself to the data- driven and intelligence-led force that has been a key strategy in places like Philly and Camden who are making some progress with crime and violence issues. This is the plan that — if implemented well — could start restoring confidence in the city and could genuinely bend the curve on the violence problem.
Yet is seems that the Mayor’s major objection to this plan is that it is “political” and somehow being used against him. It is political to the extent that Governor Markell is trying to respond to folks that Williams will not listen to, because Delaware’s biggest city cannot go the Detroit route. It is political to the extent that Williams’ rivals have embraced this report for what it is — a path to greater safety for those of us who live and work in the city. It is political because Williams promised that we would not recognize the city after two years, and the city isn’t any safer and nor is it run any better.
Sometime last week, Williams’ office ostentatiously released a Press Release saying that he ordered a study for the use of body cameras for the WPD. Did you know that the WPD already has some cameras? They sit in a closet somewhere, waiting for a policy to guide implementation and usage. But they got a grant from somewhere to get this equipment — equipment they were not ready to use. So by the time that they actually get their study and policy done, they’ll tell us that the cameras they *did* get are technologically out of date with the policy that they want to implement. City Council has some blame here, because they have to say yes to the grants, and did not hold up this effort to make sure that policy was in place. Write the grants, get the equipment and it doesn’t matter whether we can use it or not — we have the equipment. This isn’t how organizations are supposed to run technology implementation. And no government should be asking for money that they won’t put to good use.
But here is some very interesting technology — this video (approx. 8.5 minutes) is of the Hot Spot analysis done for the Commission by a professor at Temple University. This is the kind of analysis that the Commission’s report recommends that the WPD be able to do. But as I saw this report, I saw what most of us knew — that there are places in the City where crime is born and this doesn’t provide any surprises. Except now there is real data to back up what we know. And that real data ought to be the start of trying to figure out why crime is so comfortable in these places. Unfortunately, this kind of analysis (analysis that shows that some of this hot spot activity ripples into downtown) hasn’t inspired this Administration to roll up its sleeves to figure out what is going on at these spots so that they can start addressing those problems. This data generally confirms what people who live here know. It apparently isn’t going to drive an approach to actually getting ahead of these problems.
At the meeting, Williams told the crowd that the thing he would most want to accomplish would be to keep kids from dropping out of school. Read that again. That is a laudable goal, really, but that is not his job and not what he was elected for. Public safety, making sure public works is competent and economic development *are all of his jobs* and he is (IMO) failing at all of this. Nor does he seem to care, either. Businesses and homeowners really are uncertain about Wilmington’s future. And at an event where he could help put that uncertainty to bed, Mayor Williams just added to it (His bodyguard apparently threatened to remove a constituent who routinely expresses her displeasure with Williams. She doesn’t threaten anyone, but doesn’t much like that her questions are avoided. She wasn’t a physical threat, but handcuffs were dangled in her face — appalling. The first amendment doesn’t mean anything to these folks, either.) He can’t see much further than the idea that there are political forces out to get him and nor can he see that he is living in the political bed he made. He can’t see that persistently dealing with people who want nothing more than for the city to be safer, for their homes to be worth something and for their businesses to thrive with contempt and disrespect isn’t a strategy to take advantage of the teamwork being offered by these homeowners, business owners and other people who care about Wilmington.
One of the biggest things I learned about Wilmington during the WPSSC process was just how many people want to be a part of the solution. It is heartbreaking to watch this Mayor squander all of that good will because he can’t see anything other than political threats and the backs of his bodyguards. Mayor Williams seems to think that people are making up their issues with the city’s crime problem or that they are talking about it because they have a political agenda. The Nixonian seige mentality pretty much means that he isn’t going to pay attention to our issues — and certainly isn’t going to be in the business of improving public safety in some sustainable way like he promised at his inauguration:
Tags: City of Wilmington, Featured
Well, I mean, technically he’s not huggin’ thugs, so I guess he is delivering on that campaign promise.
Cassandra 4 Mayor!
Or at the very least City Council President.
I can’t understand how someone who has failed so miserably in his promise to solve the city’s violent crime epidemic continues to be so dismissive of people who offer proposals that appear to have some chance of succeeding.
Actually, I can. Dennis Williams’ personality and ‘leadership style’ are one and the same. I can only hope that Wilmington voters seek something better in 2016.
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Paul Calistro was widely discussed at this time four years ago. Is he available?
He doesn’t live in the city anymore.
I like ‘Cassandra for Mayor’, but that kind of talk might make Williams put her in the “political enemy” file.
LOL Jason, I’m already in this file.
A friend of mine posted this to Facebook:
“One of the people present at the meeting apparently has an opinion of Mayor Williams that I think he does not share. She questioned his accomplishments and was generally annoying to the point of being obnoxious. So far as I could tell, she did not appear to be violent or armed, just extremely annoying. Early in the meeting the Mayor threatened her with removal if she did not stop her comments. I think ‘threatened’ is the appropriate word in this case. Around 7:20 or maybe a little later, the Mayor had had enough and someone who apparently works for him came forward to do something. It is unclear to me what the intention was, other than to intimidate. He showed that he was carrying handcuffs, but would not say, when questioned by people in the audience, that he intended to use them. He said he just wanted the lady to know that he had them.”
The man with the plan…One and done! Thank goodness!
Oh, I forgot…Happy birthday schmuck!
John, I saw that comment too, as well as a few others who documented that incident. That incident tells me *exactly* why he has a security detail — he can’t face the public on his own. And, frankly, I think that his WPD detail threatening citizens who may be mouthy, but not presenting a danger to the Mayor is a clear misuse of city resources that the City Council ought to investigate. The WPD is there supposedly as protection, not to shut down speech. Be prepared for the Mayor to tell the world that he needs so much more money to implement this plan — and then remember he has taken officers away from their regular duties to do this to citizens.
Great piece Cassandra!
Al Mascitti was calling for you to run for Mayor this morning and if not Mayor then City Council President.
You clearly have the analytical mind needed to be successful in either job.
I could definitely get behind the Cassandra for Mayor!
Thanks to everyone who offered their endorsement for me to be Mayor or City Council President. Special thanks to Al Mascitti and Mike Matthews who started this — text messages have been going off like crazy on my phone all day.
If you haven’t signed the petition asking the Mayor to implement concrete steps to reduce crime and its impacts in Wilmington, please do. And please ask your friends to sign it as well.
You people are so negative. The new sidewalks are getting done on Delaware Avenue near Union Street, and only at the expense of several nice trees that once provided shade to residents and pedestrians.
Well-done Cassandra!
I was at the meeting , Cassandra. It was eye-opening, and shocking at the same time. The blatant disrespect shown to the citizens by the mayor was unbelievable, the man has no self-control and was shouting at people, pointing his finger at them and accusing everyone of attacking him. He said that we were all planted there by his political rivals (in his WDEL interview after the meeting). He was only kind to the people who praised him (who themselves, could have been planted there by his staff???) . He never once gave a straight answer to a question, just that he “has plans that will be announced later”. He has been in office 3 years, shouldn;t some plans have been announced by now?
I was simply horrified when one of his henchman went over to the disapproving woman, and waved his handcuffs in her face. Nuff said, except that his next town meeting will be at PS DuPont next Tuesday, May19th. Your article was exceptionally well-written and on point.
Thank you, Fran. I’ll point out that this next meeting now disrupts a meeting set with people in my neighborhood and city staff to address the 7th and Washington situation. Out meeting has been on the books for a couple of weeks. And now they are all running off to PS Dupont and leaving us to our own devices. Again.
Williams did not have a plan to improve the safety of Wilmington and nor does he have a plan to respect the people who live and work here. It is appalling that WPD should be used to shut down debate and even worse that he couldn’t manage that criticism without someone who could flash their handcuffs.
I’m sorry you were so disrespected, Fran. I’m sorry that we all are being so disrespected.
Cassandra, great article! I firmly believe that little notice is given to intentionally keep people from coming.
I attended the meeting at Pulaski School and only 8 people were there. The notice was sent the day before at lunch time. At the meeting the Mayor blamed me directly for closing of Canby Pool and the Jackson Street Boys and Girls Club. In addition he mentioned at least 4 or 5 problems that he has to deal with from the prior council. He stated that there was a lot of “Political Pimping” going on with respect to the crime report.
The Pulaski meeting brought back memories of a meeting at Claymore Senior Center sponsored by the late Hazel Plant. Rep. Plant allowed the Mayor who at the time was a State Representative to speak. Rep.Plant was in tight contest with former City Councilperson Stephanie T Bolden for the 2nd Rep seat. The Mayor made some very serious derogatory comments that were mostly directly at me and other elected officials who represent the West Side of Wilmington. I could only take so much and left. Many of the residents followed suit. A blast e-mail went out to let everyone know of the Mayor’s arrogance. Rep Bolden won the race because she ran a great campaign and stuck to the issues. However she did get some help as the residents of Bayard Square overwhelmingly voted for her. Do you think the Mayor’s comments had anything to do with the result?
I was at the Woodlawn meeting for the first hour. Once the Mayor found out the name of the person who was challenging him, he became much more aggressive and confrontational. Several residents tried to engage in a respectful dialogue about the crime report and he just blew them off. In fact he made some very disparaging remarks about some of the consultants who help craft the report. He signaled out the ex-Chief of NYPD as someone who let a rape with a broom stick happen in one of his police stations. Also he mentioned that one of the other consultants allowed pregnant women to be run over by a police officer. The topper was that none of them ever lived in Wilmington and had no idea what they were doing.
What I find most interesting is that after almost two and half years in office, these are the first meetings the Mayor has had with residents of the West Side. This more visible campaign that he is conducting is a result of the embarrassment he had when went to a homicide scene at 2nd and Monroe several weeks ago. He now has a TV show on Channel 28, a radio show on WDEL every Tuesday and surprise community meetings.
The Mayor is starting to feel the pressure of running for re-election. He knows that there are several individuals who may run against him including myself. He feels that anyone running for office is out to get him. Well when you have no clear plan to move the city forward, disregard one of the best plans ever developed to improve the police department and act disrespectful, you make their campaigns a whole lot easier!
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Dennis Williams is right about one thing. It is political. The fact that there hasn’t been a Republican mayor in Wilmington for forty years tells me it’s political. Same with Detroit, Baltimore Philadelphia, etc. There is no accountability for the failed policies in these cities. Absolute power has corrupted absolutely.
The manufacturing base has been hollowed out by NAFTA and by the doctrine of shareholder primacy, but whatever….you are an idiot, so yeah. It is the Democrats. Okay. Thanks for the input.
You mean Bill Clinton’s NAFTA? I guess we all should have voted for Ross Perot, huh.
Live and learn.
The absence of the Republican Party in those cities is the fault of the Republicans, nobody else.
Also, Bill Clinton’s Republican tendencies brought us the “Democrats” that liberals here spend so much time fighting against. That was not a Democratic Party priority; it was a Clinton priority.
NAFTA gets too much blame. As all know, China is where all the jobs went and China was not part of NAFTA… If all our jobs were in Mexico or Canada, then yes, NAFTA – bashers would have reason to bemoan.
But why China? Change in tax policy. Letting corporations keep more of their taxes meant they did not have to manufacture here to keep profits down, instead they could go anywhere, do anything… Allowing them to prosper in China and keep their money by not taxing it here, is the primary force that made manufacturing jobs go overseas….
Change tax policy so it becomes too costly to manufacture overseas, the jobs come back, because the all the money being spent paying for all those jobs, …. mostly comes from here.
It all hinges on tax policy.. When it is too low on the top 1%, everyone underneath suffers… Raising taxes a lot on the top 1% is our next big battle. The secret is to explain the common sense behind why we all benefit immensely whenever the top 1% pay their fair share…
Great points. The current status quo is heavily invested in the “taxes = tyranny” bullshit. That will be hard to unwind.
1. Let’s not get all hung up on Ds and Rs and NAFTA and overlook a more proximate cause (in space if not time): the driving of I-95 right through the center of Wilmington and the destruction that did to formerly intact neighborhoods that have arguably never recovered.
2. The lack of national attention to the GOP candidates is, frankly, why I think Rand Paul will have staying power. It’s effectively an underground struggle for the party base, and he starts with the advantage of his father’s troops and mailing lists (even though 10% of the purists may desert him, most won’t). More to the point that lack of national coverage of the GOP dwarves may benefit the eventual candidate, because the essential “run to the hard, hard right” to get the nomination won’t be well televised, rendering it easier to run back toward the center in the general. The eventual GOP candidate will have to do that with some considerable gusto, because despite Sanders and O’Malley, she’s got the luxury of running both left and center at the same time.
I’m the person who exercised her right to freedom of speech. City Council members Bob Williams and Loretta Walsh were in attendance at this meeting and did not say a word. “Cowards” would be a good name for them.
With respect to the problems facing Wilmington, I do not believe that a Republican would provide different solutions than a Democrat would.
Wilmington does not need a politician or an ideologue. Wilmington needs a technocrat or someone willing to listen to experts. (Note: This statement is somewhat crazy considering that the Mayor is a former Wilmington police officer.)
Kevin Kelley, I remember you and your voting record. You say, you are for Public Safety but your votes to cut the Police and Fire Departments say otherwise. YOU and the last two, do nothing administrations are the reasons we are having all the problems today.
So, Bob, if that’s true, how long should we give Williams to fix it? Because, if you remember, he had a “plan” during the campaign.
Well, we gave the President eight years to repair the last 20 years and things are finally starting to improve. Some of his original 2008 campaign promises fell through after he was better informed on certain situations. Gitmo is still open, he is still using cruise missiles to remove certain targets. But if he was able to run for a third term I would vote for him again.
Wilmington police and fire are both bloated organizations.
Geezer got it right when he stated that the Wilmington police is a bloated organization. It’s not the quantity of cops that matter–it’s the quality. The WPD are bullies toward non-threatening people, but they are cowards when confronting the dangerous. Not since 1948 has a Wilmington cop died in the line of duty. A cop can’t die if he doesn’t place himself in harm’s way. Yet, when confronting the WPD about this fact, their response is that it’s because they’re doing an excellent job. The WPD (aka the Keystone cops) intentionally appear at dangerous crime scenes long after they know there’s no longer longer any threats there. Yet, they’ll send 5 cop cars within seconds to a scene where a minor fender bender occurred. The ego of the WPD is in alignment with Dennis Williams’ ego.
First I want the political junkies who read this blog to observe the political acumen on display by our WFD pal here:
Well, we gave the President eight years to repair the last 20 years and things are finally starting to improve.
Second, we didn’t set the expectaions, Williams did. Did you even see the video I posted? Williams told the world in his inauguration speech that he needed 2 years to make a sea change in the safety of the city. He failed at that. He also failed at delivering a plan to improve the city’s safety. And now he is threatening citizens who disagree with him.
Of course this WFD Williams supporter wants us to forget the promises made, because *he’s* making out like a bandit. A FD who has time to organize town hall meetings for this mayor and all the overtime you can eat to do it in. Not especially good for the people paying the bills here, but hey, why would you care about that?
Bob, can you actually name anything specific this’s your has done to improve the city?
Come on Cassandra once again you have gotten it wrong. I live and work in the city so I support and understand how a fully Public Safety protects me, my family and my business. So, I am paying those bills also. Remember President Obama had to clean up the mess of two Bush’s and one sexual predator. So yes it has taken him almost eight years for him to correct the problems he faced entering office.
Still wrong on your analogy, but why wouldn’t you be?
And still wrong about Public Safety too — because this entire exercise is about how Williams has quite failed at that task.
We’ve all noticed how you completely ignored AQC’s question.
Uncritical support of fire and police is pretty stupid. We have more police per capita than all but one or two American cities.