Wilmington police chief attending State of the Union address

One of a handful of Delawareans attending the State of the Union address Tuesday got a shout out from the president late last year — Wilmington Police Chief Robert Tracy. 

Tracy is attending the annual speech as the guest of Sen. Chris Coons, who invited the two-year-veteran of the Wilmington police department in recognition of declining violence in Wilmington attributed in part to the strategies the chief brought to the city. 

"I'm representing law enforcement and representing this city," Tracy said. "I'm humbled. I'm honored. I actually was taken aback when his staff called me. I was a little stunned."

There was a 60 percent reduction in shootings across Wilmington last year, a steep decline after the city's most violent year on record. In December, Wilmington was recognized for its work at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference.

Wilmington Police was among the departments receiving the award for "Outstanding Local Police/Sheriff Department Involvement," which the conference website said is given "to the officers and departments that have laid the groundwork and spent time in the trenches fighting violent crime in the field, so others can fight it in the courtroom."

President Donald Trump was there and praised Wilmington's chief by name.

"Thank you Chief Tracy for your unbelievable work," Trump said at the December policing conference. "We are reading about it, seeing it and it really is special."

Tracy said the message he'll bring to anyone in Washington D.C. who asks is that he's trying to lead his department in a way that will span the divide between the public and police. He said community engagement is the cornerstone of his policing philosophy. 

"We cannot have long term sustainable success without bridging the gap," Tracy said. "We're just building on this. We're nowhere yet we need to be, but it's a great start."  

Coons said he invited Tracy to honor his officers and the work they've accomplished.

“They’ve done a remarkable job at turning around violent crime in our community," Coons said. "It is partly a reminder of the importance of the partnership between federal, state. and local law enforcement in tackling the things that lead to violent crime, but largely meant as a gesture to thank and honor all the men and women of WPD."

Also attending from Delaware is Joshua Trump, a Claymont boy bullied for his name. 

Contact Adam Duvernay at (302) 319-1855 or aduvernay@delawareonline.com

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