Wilmington’s police chief is headed to Missouri after being selected as St. Louis’ next police commissioner, vacating the top post in Delaware’s largest city.
Mayor Mike Purzycki on Wednesday announced Wilmington Police Chief Robert Tracy was selected as police commissioner of the Missouri city about a week after the Wilmington administration shared that Tracy was a finalist for the position.
“I offer my sincere congratulations to Chief Tracy on his selection as police commissioner of St. Louis,” Purzycki said in a news release. “I wish nothing but the best for the chief, Brenda, and their family as they embark on new opportunities and challenges in St. Louis.”
Tracy joined the Wilmington Police Department in April 2017, looking to return to law enforcement after departing his position as chief crime strategist for the Chicago Police Department amid leadership changes. His focus on data-driven police strategies became a selling point for Wilmington, and city leadership agreed to increase Tracy’s salary upon hiring.
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The Wilmington chief leaves the department amid efforts to reform policing in Delaware’s largest city and implement community-based approaches to reduce violent crime. A report released in September highlighted Wilmington’s internal dysfunction, among other structural issues, that must be overcome to effectively combat violence.
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The department also has been plagued by internal turmoil, from concern about a hostile workplace for people of color and overall lack of diversity to controversy surrounding officers’ excessive use of force.
The internal concerns prompted the City Council in January to vote “no confidence” in Tracy’s ability to lead the police department due to the lack of diversity in the department and work environment. Councilmembers also criticized Tracy for his lack of communication with the public.
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Purzycki lauded Tracy’s time in Wilmington, disregarding the record number of shooting deaths the city reached just last year and the multiple city police officers who have been charged or sentenced for crimes.
Among those facing charges is former Officer Samuel Waters who faces eight charges, two of them felonies, over two separate excessive force incidents occurring under Tracy’s watch.
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“The chief came to Wilmington during a very difficult time and leaves almost six years later with record reductions in homicides, the lowest violence in a decade, the lowest number of complaints against our police officers, and a very high level of officer retention,” Purzycki said. “He institutionalized Wilmington’s crime analysis systems and his improvements will be preserved in the upcoming change in leadership. Most important, he built deep relationships with the community and the clergy.”
Tracy introduced data-driven policing strategies like CompStat and oversaw the implementation of body-worn cameras during his tenure, but – like other Wilmington police chiefs – struggled to consistently decrease violent crime. The year Tracy joined the department, Wilmington saw 32 homicides. Homicides dipped in 2018 to 23, but have climbed every year since and struck a new record of 41 deaths in 2021.
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So far this year, there have been 20 homicides by gunfire as well as other means.
City police department data peg that figure at 17 murders as of Dec. 4, a discrepancy due to FBI standards for reporting statistics. Wilmington’s data does not include suicides or people killed by officers.
While the city’s figure does represent the lowest number of murders in the last 10 years – police reported 24 homicides in 2012 – in 2013, there were only 18 homicides.
As for Purzycki’s claim of the lowest number of complaints against officers, it’s unclear how the administration arrived at that conclusion.
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The police department’s Office of Professional Standards provides annual reports on complaints received about officer conduct and investigates those allegations. The latest report from 2021 tallied 462 complaints, which is an increase from the 439 complaints in 2017 – the year Tracy joined the department. There were 317 complaints filed against officers in 2012.
Tracy’s last day is Jan. 6.
“Between now and then, I’ll have more to say about the transition to a new police administration,” Purzycki said.
City Council President Ernest “Trippi” Congo, in an emailed statement, wished Tracy well in his new position in St. Louis, and expressed a desire for the new police chief to be promoted from within the department and for a revival of dedicated community policing units.
“It is my hope that the next chief is promoted from within the Wilmington Police Department, is someone with a vested interest in the city, and who will work day and night to ensure that the residents of Wilmington can feel safe,” he said. “Law enforcement is a collaborative effort, and council will remain engaged with the administration and the (police department) to continue the conversation around improving morale within the department.”
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