Delaware is a small state with fewer than one million people. It’s famous for its beaches, history, and laws that support businesses. However, it has a higher crime rate than the national average.
The FBI reports show that in 2023, Delaware had 4.2 violent crimes and 22.5 property crimes per 1,000 residents. Now, which city in Delaware is considered the most dangerous to live in?
Wilmington: The Most Dangerous City to Live in Delaware
The biggest and most populated city in the state, Wilmington, is the most dangerous city to live in Delaware. More than three times the national average, Wilmington has a crime rate of 2,683 per 100,000 people.At fifteen violent crimes for per 1,000 residents, it also has Delaware’s highest rate of violent crime.
This indicates that Wilmington inhabitants have a 1 in 67 risk of being a victim of a violent crime, such as murder, rape, robbery, or assault.
In Wilmington, there are 44.6 property crimes for every 1,000 residents, making them a prevalent crime. Thus, the likelihood of Wilmington residents becoming victims of a property crime—like auto theft, larceny, or burglary—is one in twenty-two.
There are roughly 70,000 people living in Wilmington, a diversified urban center. With a plethora of attractions, shops, and events, it serves as Delaware’s economic and cultural hub.
But it also faces a lot of difficulties, such drug misuse, gang violence, unemployment, and poverty. Wilmington’s poverty and unemployment rates in 2023 were 25.4% and 7.9%, respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city’s high rate of crime is a result of several causes.
What is Wilmington Doing to Lower Crime?
Wilmington, Delaware, and the state of Delaware have been implementing a number of initiatives to lower crime rates and enhance community safety. Among these actions are a few of these:
- Stepping up patrols and police presence in high-crime regions.
- Putting outreach and community policing into practice to foster mutual respect and collaboration between the locals and the police.
- Increasing the resources and support available to victims of crime and violence, including legal aid, counseling, and housing.
- Enhancing mentoring, education, and job opportunities as part of prevention and intervention programs for families and youth at risk.
- Increasing access to recovery and treatment programs for mental health and drug addiction.
- Collaborating with federal, state, and local authorities to identify and bring charges against gangs and dangerous offenders.
- Encouraging community-focused positive alternatives and activities like sports, the arts, and recreation.
In recent years, these initiatives have yielded some encouraging outcomes.For instance, Wilmington saw 23 homicides in 2023—a 28% drop from the year before. To make Wilmington a safer and more livable city for all, there is still a lot of work to be done.
You May Also View:
- This City Has Been Named the Most Dangerous City to Live in Pennsylvania
- This City in Texas Has the Highest Human Trafficking Rate in the State
- This City Has Been Named the Murder Capital of Alabama
- This City Has Been Named the Healthiest Place to Live in Louisiana
Conclusion
Wilmington has a higher crime rate than the national average, making it the most dangerous city in Delaware to live in. Numerous social and economic issues that the city faces contribute to crime and violence.
To solve these problems and raise the standard of living for the populace, the state and the city are collaborating, nevertheless. Wilmington has enormous potential as a city, but in order to realize that potential, all of its stakeholders—the police, the government, the community, and the media—must support and become involved.
