Gun Violence is a Markell Problem, not Just a "City" problem

By Elizabeth Scheinberg

Sixteen-year-old D’Andre Green was outside the Brookside Community Center late Saturday with his best friend, waiting for a ride to pick them up, when shots rang out and everyone scattered. The bullet did not hit the gunman’s intended target, but instead cut down the unsuspecting teenager, according to the victim’s father.

In the hours after the news of D'Andre Green's murder, the comment section on the News Journal filled with posts about crime and gun violence and its creep from the City of Wilmington to local suburbs.

There's is no denying it - the City of Wilmington has a per capita gun violence and murder rate that has thrust it into the top 1% of most violent places to live or visit. In fact, Wilmington has been at critical mass for several years. Meanwhile calls for intervention have been largely ignored. It's clear that the City itself lacks the resources to maintain peace, even its Mayor has failed to produce a detailed plan for intervention, despite running a platform that promised to reduce violence. And its city council recently sent a Hail Mary shot to the Center for Disease Control begging for assistance in addressing their crime pandemic.

But, Wilmington isn't the only Delaware city facing higher than average crime statistics. D'andre Green was murdered in Newark while waiting for a ride home. He was an innocent bystander and not an intended victim. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was in Brookside, 3.9 square miles and one of Newark's roughest neighborhoods.

The locals will tell you that Brookside is far from surburban paradise. Although originally built to house workers for the now dismantled Chrysler plant, the current neighborhood carries a bit of a reputation for crime, drugs, violence, and poverty. However, it would be unfair to fail to mention that there are small enclaves within the 4 miles that comprise the census designation tract of respectful, friendly, caring residents.

Brookside's challenge is its central location in Newark, DE, a city a with crime rate similar to the Dover, Milford, and Seaford, and a violence rate that according to the FBI exceeds the national norm. While Newark still pales when compared to Wilmington, the reality is that what appears to be an increase of crime within the suburbs likely has little to do with sprawling urban violence. Newark's violence isn't something new. It's just something that is seldom publicized - which likely makes Newark even less safe than Wilmington. Folks going into Wilmington know what they are putting on the line. Folks coming to Newark often think they are heading somewhere "safe" and they let their guard down. They stand at the end of long lane waiting for a ride. They end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Wilmington's problem isn't just Wilmington's problem. Violence is a statewide problem - one our Governor has failed to address, year after year, over two terms. It's time for Markell to put his money where his mouth is and declare war on violence and crime. Delawarean's deserve better. Certainly, D'andre did.