Good morning,
Monday’s shooting of two Delmarva Power contractors working on a natural gas system modernization project provides ample evidence that efforts to quell gun-related violence in the city remain a work in progress.
Police have issued no updates on the investigation of the shootings that occurred in a workplace that happened to be a city street.
It has been puzzling on why a cone of silence has emerged around this case and another involving a public defender who was allegedly stabbed by a former client.
It could be that in a social media-driven world, a strategy of saying little or nothing may be seen as preferable to rampant speculation that can “go viral.” So far, neither story appears to have made its way to the regional or national conversation.
Wilmington has made great strides in reducing the number of homicides and shootings. Slowly, but surely the negative perception of the city is turning around.
The latest Compstat report from the city shows a dramatic 58 percent decline in homicides over the past two years.
But everyone on the front lines knows that it would not take much to see the situation deteriorate quickly. One only has to look at neighboring Philadelphia, which is now dealing with an uptick in homicides
One worrisome trend in the most recent Compstat report is a sharp percent increase in the number of juvenile shooting victims during the first six months or so this year when compared to the same period in 2018. The overall number of shootings involving juveniles during the same period is also up.
Juveniles are often more reckless than their adult counterparts in settling scores over the most minor of slights – sometimes in public places.
Still, we can’t always blame young people. Charged in a carjacking case this month was a 65-year-old man.
The recent shooting is a stark reminder that a relentless focus on safe streets and the poverty and toxic cultures that contribute to these tragedies remains a top priority for the government, business, and the community. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer.
