Delaware Criminal Justice Council News

• Statewide Violence Reduction, May 6, 2022: The Delaware Criminal Justice Council will be able to expand the Group Violence Intervention (GVI) program into Kent and Sussex Counties and hire program coordinators and highly trained outreach personnel deployed to mediate potentially violent conflicts. Delaware has already invested $1.5 million to implement the GVI program, and the addition of hospital-based and community-based intervention components will significantly increase the program’s effectiveness. The goals of the GVI program are to reduce violent crime statewide by 10 percent, decrease shooting incidents statewide by 10 percent, and offer services and referrals to a minimum of 200 individuals.

• Body Worn Cameras, May 6, 2022:  The Delaware Statewide Body-Worn Camera Program will be a game-changer in the relationships between police and communities by improving transparency and accountability. The program will require that any law enforcement officer who interacts with the public wear body cameras. The program seeks funding to ensure all 1,800 officers on the state and local level have body cameras (currently only about 700 do), as well as for the necessary personnel and technology to administer the program and properly store and review the camera’s footage.

• Behavioral Health, May 6, 2022: This funding will allow the New Castle County Police Department to hire a peer advocate on the Hero Help outreach team to respond to non-fatal overdoses and conduct referrals for individuals dealing with Substance Use Disorder. The New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD) believes this new peer advocate would be more likely to connect to potential program participants, as studies show that people with lived substance abuse experience can break down barriers and resistance to treatment more effectively than those without personal experience. Additionally, the money would allow NCCPD to create a new co-responder team within the Mental Health Unit. Most of the co-responder units’ time is currently dedicated to conducting follow-ups, referrals, and repeat calls for service with a mental health nexus. To streamline the process, this new team will allow NCCPD to have two teams handle crisis responses and a third team to specifically focus on follow-ups, referrals, and repeat calls.

• Marking Delaware’s Progress Improving Reentry Services January 13, 2020
  Governor John Carney on Monday joined state leaders at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington to review progress on improving reentry services for offenders and to announce more than $1 million in grants to support Delaware’s reentry initiatives.
• April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month April 16, 2019
  WILMINGTON, DE —During Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the Sexual Assault Network of Delaware (SAND) and its member agencies will bring the theme of “I Ask” to life by holding several awareness events through the state.   “I Ask” builds on the idea that consent is a healthy, normal, and necessary part of everyday interactions. The month […]
• Honoring Crime Victims During Delaware Crime Victims’ Rights Week April 8, 2019
    Dover, Del.- Join the Delaware Victims’ Rights Task Force and its participating agencies as we observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW).  NCVRW promotes victims’ rights and honors crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf.   This year’s theme is “Honoring Our Past, Creating Hope for the Future.”  This year’s theme encourages commemoration, honor, […]

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Delaware Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) News 

• DNA Samples of 1,600 Delaware Convicts Were Not Entered Into National Database For Years (Delawareonline Article) – August 27, 2018
• Tackling the Rape Kit Backlog Has Already Gotten Results (Delawareonline Article) – August 24, 2018
• Horrifying Sexual Assault Statistics Show Delaware Must Keep Up the Fight (Delawareonline Article) – August 14, 2018
• Delaware Gets Help With Backlog of Untested Rape Kits (6 ABC Action News) – August 1, 2018
• DNA Cracks Cold Case; Man Charged in Multiple Wilmington Rape, Strangulation Cases (Delawareonline Article) – July 31, 2018

CJC Press Releases & Media

• Criminal Justice Council Announces Egrants System – September 12, 2014
• Council Selects New Executive Director – July 2, 2014

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