Thursday walk marks the 1-year anniversary of the series, which brings police officers and outreach workers to City neighborhoods for weekly walks 

Wilmington Police officers join social service, public health, and community service partners on a Community Outreach Walk.

Mayor Mike Purzycki and Police Chief Wilfredo Campos are joining social service and public health partners to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the launch of the collaborative Wilmington Community Outreach Walks series.
 
This initiative was launched last October with the goal of addressing unmet social service and public health needs in Wilmington neighborhoods. Every Thursday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., police officers are joined by a number of social service, public health and community service partners at a different location in Wilmington. While a team of police officers and outreach workers establish a stationary location to distribute information to residents, another team walks through the surrounding neighborhood to share resources and make contact with residents.
 
On Thursday, October 26 at 1:00 p.m., the partner organizations will meet at 7^th and Washington Streets – the site of the very first walk one year ago – for our weekly walk as well as a short program commemorating the milestone. Mayor Mike Purzycki, Chief Wilfredo Campos, and DHSS social services senior administrator Gatefred Wayde Bivins III will share some brief remarks, along with stories of client successes and the impact of this series.
 
“From participating in these walks in my prior role as a sector captain, to supporting this initiative in my role as Chief, I have seen firsthand the tremendous impact they have had in neighborhoods throughout Wilmington,” said Chief Campos. “I am proud to celebrate the first year of this initiative, and thank each of our partners for their steadfast support and collaboration. We know well that many challenges that face our residents are not best met by a traditional law enforcement response, and these walks are a prime example of the type of outreach that can provide our residents with the resources they need to improve their quality of life.”
 
The core partners engaged in the Wilmington Community Outreach Walk initiative include: 

• Wilmington Police Department
• Community Partner Support Unit Impact Team based at the Winder Laird Porter State Service Center
• Porter Center Public Health Clinic
• DHSS New Castle County Mobile Health Unit
• Delaware Community Response Teams
• Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families, Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health
• Wilmington Police Department Youth Response Unit
• Westside Family Healthcare
• Henrietta Johnson Medical Center 

Additionally, over the course of the past year the initiative has included participation by the Latin American Community Center, the Food Bank of Delaware and other partners.
 
“The Community Partner Support Unit is all about partnerships and providing services to the community we serve,” said Social Services Senior Administrator Gatefred Wayde Bivins III.  “These walks have been instrumental in providing wraparound resources directly to the community, while allowing the community to express a need for continued support. Throughout the year, our partners continued to collaborate to make these walks impactful. We sincerely thank all of our partners, the Wilmington Police Department, our sister divisions and the community for its continued support of this initiative.”
 
Over the course of the past year, a total of 42 walks have been conducted in neighborhoods throughout Wilmington, and the impact has been significant: 

• 1,512 contacts and referrals made by the Community Partner Support Unit at the Porter State Service Center
• 1,042 contacts made by the Porter Center Public Health Clinic
• 440 individuals provided with Narcan and given training on how to administer the life-saving medication
• 552 contacts made by Westside Family Health
• 811 contacts made by the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center
• 288 contacts made by the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families 

Each week, residents have been connected with referrals to social service and public health partners, as well as COVID-19 and Flu vaccinations, lead testing and other health services. The series has also included the distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables, food, health and hygiene supplies, school supplies, children’s books, and awareness materials related to public health and social services.
 
“The Delaware Community Response Team has been participating in the outreach walks since its inception in 2022, providing free Narcan training to inform people on how to save someone from an opioid overdose," said Allenet Dessuit, Community Response Team Coordinator in the Office of Health Crisis Response.  "I am so happy with the positive feedback and acceptance from the community during these walks each week, and hope that we will be able to continue this in the future adding more partners and organizations to provide great services to the Wilmington community”.
 
“This important initiative is a perfect example of the kind of dedicated police department that we have,” said Mayor Purzycki. “In recent years we have developed a culture of community engagement that our dedicated officers have taken to heart. We recognize that police across the United States are often called upon to address all manner of problems, many of which that fall outside the traditional purview of law enforcement. By working closely with our partners in the social service, public health, and community service sectors, the WPD is helping to meet the pressing needs of City residents and strengthen our neighborhoods, all the while building valuable trust in the community.”
 
Locations for the walks are determined by the core partners, and are also informed by Wilmington Police sector captains – who identify areas most in need of support, as well as neighborhoods affected by recent crime and violence. Walks have been held year-round, and locations are only postponed due to inclement weather, as outreach opportunities are limited.

To learn more about this initiative, visit www.WilmingtonDE.gov/OutreachWalks.   

WPD Contact: 

David Karas, Ph.D.
Police Policy and Communications Director
Wilmington Police Department 
Mobile: (302) 463-4221
Direct: (302) 576-3679

COMMUNITY AND MEDIA INQUIRIES: 

Paul Ford Jr.
Director of Communications 
City of Wilmington, Office of the Mayor
Mobile: (302) 530-2171
Email: plford@WilmingtonDE.gov