Wilmington Hope Commission
The HOPE Commission was organized by Mayor James Baker in May 2005 to analyze the social and community issues related to crime and violence in the city of Wilmington. The commission sought to identify the root causes of crime and violence through a combination of effective law enforcement and creative community based solutions. Provey Powell, Jr., President of the Stop the Violence Coalition Inc. and Tabitha Castro, Associate Attorney and Board Member of the Latin American Community Center and myself chaired the commission comprised of many prominent social activists, business people and religious leaders from the Wilmington area.
In March 2006 the HOPE Commission released its report with the following recommendations:
- Expand Community Policing
- Create Entity to Improve Education
- Establish HOPE Zones
- Improve Economic Development Opportunities
- Create Network of HOPE Outreach Workers
- Coordinate Faith-Based Efforts
- Strengthen Offender Re-entry Program
- Embark Upon Campaign of Hope
- Create Permanent HOPE Commission
These recommendations establish a comprehensive and manageable action strategy to improve the outlook for Wilmington's most troubled neighborhoods. For more information, please visit the Wilmington HOPE Commission website. The HOPE Commission Report and Executive Summary are now available by selecting the corresponding link below:
