Wilmington City Council to Vote on New Public Safety Legislation

Members of the Wilmington City Council are scheduled to vote on the evening of April 16, 2026, on an ordinance to codify the Office of Community Safety. The legislation seeks to establish a permanent, coordinated framework for public safety within the city’s administration.

The proposed ordinance would formally place the Office of Community Safety within the Mayor’s Office. The office is tasked with the design, development and implementation of initiatives intended to reduce violence through a combination of prevention and intervention strategies.

According to a press release issued on April 13, 2026, the legislation is based on a public health approach to violence reduction. This strategy focuses on addressing the root causes of crime by coordinating programming, resources, and support for at-risk populations, with a specific emphasis on youth.

Office Responsibilities and Governance

Under the terms of the ordinance, the Office of Community Safety would be responsible for several key operational functions. These include partnering with local organizations and government agencies to synchronize safety efforts and utilizing data to identify violence hotspots.

The office would also be charged with supporting community-based intervention efforts and collaborating with law enforcement to prevent imminent acts of violence. To ensure transparency and accountability, the office would be required to issue annual reports to the Mayor and City Council detailing program outcomes, expenditures, and policy recommendations.

This legislation would take a more intentional and coordinated approach to public safety in Wilmington. If we are serious about reducing violence, then we also have to be serious about addressing the root causes that lead to it.

Councilmember Shané Darby

Legislative and Financial Background

The move to codify the office follows an Executive Order signed by Mayor John Carney to create the entity. Funding for the office, specifically for a grant-writer and a director, was previously approved by the Wilmington City Council on March 6, 2026.

Councilwoman Yolanda McCoy noted that the transition to a codified office is necessary because previous efforts, such as the Community Public Safety Initiative, were funded by American Rescue Plan Act dollars. As those federal funds are beginning to run out, the council is seeking to transform what had been a pilot program into a full city statement program.

Public Safety Trends in Wilmington

The push for the Office of Community Safety comes amid shifting crime trends in the city. Mayor Carney and Police Chief Wilfredo Campos previously referenced the Wilmington Police Department’s year-end report for 2025, which documented a decline in the overall rate of serious crimes.

The 2025 report also highlighted a two-decade low in the number of shootings. City officials attributed these improvements to the use of data-informed strategies, the targeting of known hotspots, and expanded accountability and training for officers, alongside partnerships with public agencies and community organizations.

Councilmember Shané Darby hosted a press conference on April 15, 2026, in the Wilmington City Council Chambers to further discuss the legislation prior to the council’s vote. She stated that the codification of the office would allow the city to better connect prevention efforts and resources to support the community.