Issue Position: Community Safety

Issue Position

Safe communities are a key part of a strong Delaware. Too often we see evidence of breakdowns in community safety. We must address these issues to keep all of Delaware safe and united.

We should provide police officers with the resources they need to do their job safely. We should not take our police and other emergency responders for granted and ask them to put their safety and lives on the line without us giving them means to protect themselves, including adequate equipment, staffing, and advanced technology for effective and safe resource deployment.

We also should provide training and support for neighborhood watch programs that will supply critical information to law enforcement professionals so that those professionals can better protect our communities. These programs will also encourage neighbors to help each other and foster a sense of community that is a hallmark of any safe neighborhood. Given recent instances of undetected child abuse in the Newark area, these programs should also instruct residents on signs of child abuse and how best to report these signs to authorities.

Additional initiatives to promote community safety involve our public schools. We must ensure dangerous behavior is handled appropriately in schools and does not escalate in our neighborhoods. We also need to ensure adequate coordination between our schools and our law enforcement agencies so that ongoing or likely criminal activity can receive an immediate response from authorities.

When those guilty of crimes in our neighborhoods are apprehended, we must take prosecution and punishment seriously, especially in response to violent crimes. We should focus on swiftly prosecuting and significantly punishing those individuals who have committed acts of violence or theft.

Together, we can make our communities stronger and safer places to live, and enjoy the prosperity and stability that comes from safe, united neighborhoods.

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