Wilmington Police Department
The mission of the Wilmington Department of Police is to work in a true partnership with our fellow citizens, and to raise the level of public safety through law enforcement and thereby reduce the fear and incidence of crime.
The Police Department Is...
The City's 2nd largest department with a total FY 2025 General Fund budget of $66,600,482.
It accounts for 34.3% of the General Fund.
About the Police Department
The Wilmington Police Department (WPD) is authorized to deploy up to 305 officers in motor vehicles, on foot, and on bicycle in order to protect and serve the citizens of the city.
The WPD has joined the ranks of more than 350 other departments nationwide in achieving operations accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.
Year-to-Date Expenditures by Division*
*Move the slider at the bottom of the graph to see budget and prior-year data.
Year-to-Date Expenditures by Category*
*Move the slider at the bottom of the graph to see budget and prior-year data.
How Many People Work for the Police Department?
CrimeMapping.com
Mayor Purzycki and Chief Tracy invite citizens to use this online service to gain a greater understanding of what’s happening in your neighborhoods and throughout the city. CRIMEMAPPING.com is a web-based program that help law enforcement agencies provide you with valuable information about recent crime activity in and around your neighborhood.
CompStat
A Data-Driven Approach to Policing
Mayor Mike Purzycki and Chief of Police Robert J. Tracy are pleased to present citizens with weekly data-driven performance measurements for the Wilmington Police Department.
The City would like citizens to be more aware of what the WPD is doing to reduce crime and improve community relations. Whatever we achieve as a city to improve public safety has to be done through the efforts of the entire community, which is why the City wants everyone to know from a statistical standpoint where we stand and what we need to do to improve. Crime reporting, statistical analysis, and information-sharing are central components of modern-day policing.
This methodology, which has been used by the New York Police Department since 1994, allows the police department to track data in near real-time, providing the department greater levels of accountability, focus, and follow-up. The data will support efficient, targeted policing across the city for all residents and visitors and the compiled statistical data is also used as a management tool for reducing crime, improving procedures and training, and providing transparency to the public and City government.
The most recent CompStat report may be found here, and a portion of the citywide data is condensed below as part of the Department's Strategic Plan.
CompStat figures are posted on Monday, two weeks after closing date. These figures are preliminary and are subject to change through the course of further analysis and review. Crime statistics reflect Delaware Criminal Codes and differ from the crime categories of the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Police Department Strategic Plan
Citywide Goal: Prevent & Deter Violent Crime
Objective: Reduce the number of murders, shooting incidents, and Part I crimes* committed in the City.
*As defined by the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, Part I crimes include rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, felony theft, and motor vehicle theft.
Police Department FY 2025 Annual Budget
Total FY 2025 General Fund Budget: $66,600,482
Total FY 2024 General Fund Budget: $63,042,196
Total Increase from FY 2024: $3,558,286
a
Major Funding Changes from Prior Year:
Personal Services, an account group that includes salaries and benefits, increased by a net $3.2 million, or 6%, largely due to the following changes:
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Seven vacant Patrol Officer positions were eliminated for a total salary and benefits savings of $668,465. In addition, the vacant Senior Emergency Communications Specialist position was eliminated for a salary and benefits savings of $86,752.
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Regular Salaries are budgeted to increase by $3,777,098, or $4,247,523 exclusive of the position changes listed above. Approximately $2.0 million of this increase is due to a 7.0% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for rank-and-file officers and a 3.0% COLA for captains and majors, per their respective collective bargaining agreements. The budget also includes a one-time $7,500 retention bonus for rank-and-file officers, at an approximate salary cost of $2.2 million. The remaining salary increases are the result of the mid-FY 2024 classification and compensation study recommendations for civilian employees, mandatory step increases for all bargaining units, net of savings due to positions being vacant.
- Combined Overtime costs are budgeted to increase by a net $609,000, which includes a $475,300 increase for regular Overtime and a $133,700 increase in Special Events – Overtime. Major factors contributing to this increase include historically high levels of attrition, challenges attracting new Academy recruits, contractual labor cost increases, and additional costs associated with providing security for the Democratic presidential campaign headquarters located in downtown Wilmington.
The Materials, Supplies & Equipment (MS&E) account group remained largely flat, decreasing by a net $33,276, or -0.8%.