WILMINGTON – The Wilmington City Council voted unanimously Thursday night to create an Office of Educational Advocacy. Prior to an 11-0 ‘Yay’ vote – with two council members absent – many shared emotional anecdotes on why the office is essential, in line with a press conference announcing the proposal Wednesday. All speakers, in one way or another, explained how the …
Wilm. Council approves $363K for mental health services on cop responses
The Wilmington City Council approved a resolution Thursday night that pairs mental health clinicians with police officers to respond to calls for service to support individuals experiencing a crisis. Resolution 0413, sponsored by Councilwoman Yolanda McCoy, District 6, authorizes the Wilmington Police Department’s grant application to the Delaware Criminal Justice Council in the amount of $363,000. The funds will be …
Wilmington considering $3.5 million subsidy plan for EMS services
The Wilmington City Council discussed a proposal Monday night to contract with St. Francis Hospital to subsidize emergency ambulance service through 2024. The service mostly is used by the most vulnerable residents of the city, according to St. Francis. It had about 20,000 EMS runs in Wilmington in 2023. In the council’s Joint Finance & Economic Development and Public Safety …
Wilmington council: Make parents pay for child’s car crimes
The Wilmington City Council is considering making parents pay for damages caused by their minor children who break into or damage cars. Carjacking and thefts of personal belongings in cars has been a major problem in cities across the country, and Wilmington is no exception. Some of this was sparked by a TikTok dare in which people – typically teenagers …
Nepotism law shot down in Wilmington City Council
A Wilmington City Council ordinance that would prevent nepotism failed to pass Thursday night after initially garnering strong support in a committee last month. The ordinance got five yes votes, five no and two “present” votes, meaning it lacked the numbers it needed to succeed. Ordinance 0273, sponsored by Councilman James Spadola, would prohibit members of the council from hiring …
Wilmington gun violence report: Pay for lots more intervention
A report on reducing and preventing gun violence in Wilmington recommends the city fund several existing intervention organizations. create a coordinator position to oversee those groups and create more programming. Organizations that wanted to provide programming must have street level relationships and already actively engage in intervention work, the report from The Community Based Public Safety Collective. Mayor Mike Purzycki …
Public infighting returns to Wilmington City Council
Photo/City of Wilmington Wilmington City Council members must hand over all email, phone and text records from Jan. 2021 to March 2022 in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by one of their own. Councilwoman Shané Darby, D-District 2, submitted the FOIA request because she says a group of seven city council members have been holding private …








