The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) of the Delaware State Legislature approved a plan for the use of settlement funds to address policing in Delaware’s two largest cities.
A portion of the funds will be used to study how the city is carrying out recommendations of a commission that were issued earlier this year. Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams has criticized some of those findings of the panel.
The funds come out of a settlement with Bank of America over mortgage practices.
The use of such funds came under intense fire when the Joint Finance Committee used a portion of the funds to balance the state budget.
The use of funds for police protection is likely to produce less of a furor, since some crime ridden areas suffered from a wave of foreclosures brought on, in part, by subprime mortgages.
Gov. Jack Markell issued this statement following the vote:
“The JFC’s decision allows us to move quickly to stem gun violence in Wilmington and Dover,” said Markell. “I’m pleased that Delaware State Police will combine their efforts with Wilmington and New Castle County Police to create a high visibility uniformed presence in the city.”
The plan, which details how to spend $2,094,515 in funds from the $31.6M Bank of America settlement, is broken down as follows:
City of Dover: $578,915 for expanded police patrols and installation of video equipment.
City of Wilmington: $1,515,600 for increased patrols by Wilmington Police Department, New Castle County Police Department and Delaware State Police, including $75,000 to pay for a Delaware State Police analyst to work with Wilmington PD to analyze crime data and target specific areas and individuals for policing efforts.
In addition, the City of Wilmington will work with the Police Foundation, a consultant to the Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission, to undertake an immediate assessment of the Wilmington Police Department’s current implementation of recommendations made by the Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission.
