Wilmington mayor won't attend rescheduled debate
Eight candidates for mayor have agreed to take part in the second in a series of debates leading up to the Wilmington election
- A 90-minute debate on public safety has been rescheduled for May 26.
- The event was planned at Howard High School, but was cancelled after a student, 16, died.
- All tickets for the original debate at a venue able to seat 675 were distributed before the event date.
A Wilmington mayoral debate on public safety cancelled in the wake of a 16-year-old's fatal assault at the school where the event was planned has been rescheduled.
The 90-minute forum, the second in a series sponsored by The News Journal, WHYY and community groups, is now 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, at The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St. It also will be broadcast live at delawareonline.com.
The debate had been slated for April 21 at Howard High School of Technology but was scuttled after Amy Inita Joyner-Francis, an honor-roll student, was fatally assaulted in a bathroom at the school. The death drew international attention and resulted in three teens being charged this week. Authorities have not said what prompted the assault.
STORY: Wilmington residents to future mayor: tackle crime
STORY: Wilmington mayoral debate postponed after student killed
Debate organizers and Howard officials agreed the venue still is not the best place to conduct the event while the investigation into the death continues. The Grand — which hosted a March debate on the economy and has one scheduled for June on development and the arts — was the best alternative.
“Given the pain experienced by the Howard High students, staff, alumni and the neighborhood around the school, we felt it proper to move the debate to another venue," said David Ledford, vice president of news and executive editor of The News Journal. "We wanted a big hall close to our partners at East Side Rising, one big enough to accommodate the extraordinary interest in public safety, which is the focus of this debate. The Grand was the best fit.”
Eight candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination in the Sept. 13 primary, with the winner facing Independent Steven Washington in the Nov. 8 general election. No Republicans have entered the contest.
As of Tuesday, Councilwoman Maria Cabrera, Council President Theo Gregory, former Council President Norman Griffiths, former City Councilman Kevin Kelley, state Sen. Bob Marshall, Riverfront Development Corp. Executive Director Mike Purzycki, and Delaware Center for Justice Advocacy Director Eugene Young have agreed to take part in the May 26 event.
Incumbent Mayor Dennis P. Williams will not participate because he has a "family commitment," said his campaign spokesman, Ed Osborne.
Williams also did not appear at the first debate, on the city's economy, held March 15.
Mayoral Debate Series: Public Safety | The News Journal Media Group Ticketing
Williams is seeking a second term, and endemic violence is one of the most central points of the race, highlighted by every candidate at campaign events and debates. The issue of public safety has wormed its way into every question on how to fix the city — from the influence of out-of-state drugs and firearms on the disintegration of neighborhoods' character to poverty and joblessness among young men to restructuring and restaffing the police department from the top down.
"It comes up every time, no matter what the subject of the debate is. That is the major issue right now. It's what everyone is talking about," said Sandra Ben with Safe United Neighborhoods and Praying Ground Community Church off of Vandever Avenue. "We need to be able to work together as a group."
Forty-seven people were shot in Wilmington this year, 10 of whom died from their injuries.
The city has been the subject of a task force created by Gov. Jack Markell and the General Assembly last year to study crime in Wilmington. A Centers for Disease and Prevention report also analyzed the trend, calling urban violence a public health threat.
The reintroduction of community-oriented policing, a commonly shared point of policy among most mayoral candidates, is paramount for reinvigorating trust in public safety departments, Ben said. She said local groups need more support from city government if the crime problem is to be addressed, and said she hopes to hear more from the candidates on how that can be done.
"We need to know what the new leaders are planning to do about public safety," Ben said.
All tickets for the original debate at a venue able to seat 675 were distributed before the event date.
Doors at the Grand are scheduled to open to the public at 5:30 p.m. and the debate is to start at 6:30 p.m. Registration is not required for the free event, but those who don't register will be seated last and risk missing out if seats fill up. The debate will air on WHYY June 5 from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
The next debate in the series is on city development and the arts, planned for June 14 at The Grand. The final event, on quality-of-life issues, is July 19 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 808 N. Broom St.
Contact Adam Duvernay at (302) 324-2785 or aduvernay@delawareonline.com
If you go
What: Wilmington mayoral debate on public safety, hosted by The News Journal and WHYY
When: 6:30 p.m. May 26
Where: The Grand Opera House, 818 N. Market St.
More info: A free ticket will be required to attend. Tickets will be available at tickets.delawareonline.com.
Watch live: Visit delawareonline.com to watch the debate live.
Upcoming debates: The third debate on development and the arts is 6:30 p.m. on June 14 at the Grand, 818 N. Market St. The fourth debate on quality-of-life issues will be held on July 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 808 N. Broom St.