Mayor Purzycki and Chief Tracy Release 2022 Crime Report

January 5, 2023

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Chief of Police Robert J. Tracy today released the Wilmington Police Department’s 2022 Year-End Crime Report, which includes crime statistics for the past year along with data about police operations and community initiatives. This report, along with the Year-End 2022 CompStat report, which was also issued today, details significant reductions in crime at a time when many cities continue to struggle with increasing violent crime.

Chief Tracy, who will leave his position this week to become Police Commissioner in St. Louis, will make his final appearance today at 5 p.m. before the City Council Public Safety Committee to address the City’s improving public safety picture.

The Mayor and Chief said the year-end 2022 statistics show the lowest number of murders in 15 years, and the second-lowest number of shooting incidents in 17 years. Other significant crime reductions in 2022 include:

•a 58% reduction in murders

•a 30% reduction in shooting incidents

•a 29% reduction in shooting victims

•a 20% reduction in robberies

•a 16% reduction in burglaries

•a 14% reduction in aggravated results

•a 12% reduction in auto theft

•a 7% reduction in felony theft

The 2022 year-end CompStat report, which is included with the report released today, shows decreases in every major crime category, with the exception of rape (6 incidents in 2022 compared with 5 in 2021), and reveals continued decreases in overall crime in Delaware’s largest city.

“We are proud to release crime data for the past year, which show the results of our unyielding efforts to address crime in Wilmington,” said Chief Tracy. “These numbers show marked improvements in public safety for our residents and are a strong testament to the hard work of each of our officers. They also speak to the importance of our core crime prevention strategies and the efforts we put into place over the past several years – including Group Violence Intervention, Enhanced GunStat and our Crime Gun Intelligence Center – to address gun crime and hold gun offenders accountable.”

“Congratulations to Chief Tracy and the men and women of the Wilmington Police Department, and to residents and business owners in neighborhoods around the City who have worked closely with the WPD to help produce these results,” said Mayor Purzycki. “I also want to express our City’s appreciation to Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, U.S. Attorney David Weiss as well as to our other partner agencies, which include the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.”

You are welcome to download the complete WPD 2022 Year-End Crime Report here.

You are welcome to download the complete 2022 Year-End CompStat report here.