Cris Barrish, and Esteban Parra

During Mayor Dennis Williams' first year in office, when shootings shattered the previous record after he promised to crack down on street thugs, Wilmington's violence continued to be worse than almost any city in America, new FBI statistics analyzed by The News Journal show.

Delaware's largest city again ranked third in violence among 450 cities of comparable size, trailing only the Michigan cities of Saginaw and Flint.

Wilmington's status among about 750 cities with populations of more than 50,000 also got worse in 2013. The city ranked eighth in 2012 but last year it rose to sixth – surpassed in violent crime only by Detroit and the two smaller Michigan municipalities, plus Oakland, California, and Memphis, Tennessee.

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Wilmington mired in violence

The statistics were worse in Wilmington than two larger neighbors with a long-standing reputation as high-crime cities – Baltimore, which ranked 12th among cities with at least 50,000 residents, and Philadelphia at 34th.

The bureau's latest annual report shows that overall violence did decrease in Wilmington, from 1,703 violent crimes per 100,000 to 1,624 per 100,000 residents. The decrease, however, was not enough to give Wilmington a better national ranking.

Councilman Michael Brown Sr., head of City Council's Public Safety Committee, said "criminals seem to think they have the upper hand" on law enforcement and law-abiding residents.

"The numbers show that Wilmington still is in a bad rut with crime," Brown said. "We have tried several things, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. I'm baffled and frustrated."

Mayor Williams, a former city police detective, would not agree to an interview Wednesday about the latest statistics. Spokesman Alexandra Coppadge issued a written statement that the FBI discourages the media from publishing crime rankings because they often "lack insight into the various factors that influence the crime in a particular city or region" and "often offer a very limited perspective of the crime occurring in those specific communities."

Coppadge's statement said public safety remains the mayor's most important issue, noting that he recently created a homicide unit, implemented a new deployment strategy and started the national Cease Violence initiative in crime hot spots.

For cities with populations between 50,000 and 100,000, Wilmington's robbery rate, a key component of the FBI's violent crime rate, ranked second behind only Irvington, New Jersey. Wilmington also was fourth in aggravated assault, which is how most shootings are classified, and its homicide rate was seventh highest.

Camden, New Jersey, a city of about 77,000 that traditionally has ranked at the top of violence lists, is not included in the latest FBI report because it is now policed by a county force. But Trenton, New Jersey, with 84,400 residents, ranked seventh among cities with 50,000 to 100,000 people.

The FBI report was released this week, one that already has been especially bloody for Wilmington.

On Tuesday, three people were shot in separate incidents and police investigated what they called a "suspicious death" after a man's body was found in Eden Park. The park in Southbridge was the scene of a double murder in 2012 during a soccer tournament where spectators returned fire against the alleged gunmen, killing one and wounding another.

The statistics for 2013 cover a year in which 154 people were shot – nearly one every other day – and 18 of them died in Wilmington. It was a year the mayor replaced his handpicked police chief and announced a new crime-fighting strategy that assigned officers to specific sectors of the city.

This year, 105 people have been shot. There have been 24 homicides, 20 by gun gunfire. The homicide record in Wilmington is 27, set in 2010.

'So numb' to the violence

While campaigning in 2012, Williams promised to put a major dent in street crime, saying his experience as a cop had prepared him for the job.

Williams didn't articulate specific plans but decried a proposal to have authorities call in known drug felons and criminals to warn them that arrests were pending if they didn't stop creating havoc in neighborhoods. Williams, then a state lawmaker, boasted that he would not be "hugging thugs," a phrase he repeated often before getting elected.

Last December, after the worst year for shootings, Williams announced he might make shake up the police brass.

In January, Chief Christine Dunning resigned and was replaced by Inspector Bobby Cummings as police began a new deployment strategy that divided the city into three sectors, with patrol officers assigned exclusively to one specific area.

To keep officers in their sector longer for each 12-hour shift, some initial complaint reports are being written by civilian police employees and a mobile booking crew now transports suspects to headquarters for fingerprinting and processing, police said.

The changes came after months of clamoring by residents, business leaders and politicians for a coherent plan from Williams to curtail violence.

State agencies have stepped in. This includes efforts by Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden's office to increase punishment for criminals carrying guns, strengthening the state's bail statute for repeat violent offenders and shutting crime-infested properties.

His office recently launched the Crime Strategies Unit to target the causes of crime in Delaware neighborhoods, Biden spokesman, Joseph Rogalsky, said.

City Council members became so desperate that they passed a resolution asking the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the "epidemic" of gun violence in Wilmington.

The federal agency assented to Wilmington's request and are reviewing crime records and assessing local factors related to violence. The agency's report also will offer recommendations to reduce violence.

Williams changed his mind about forming a homicide unit, saying last month he had mistakenly resisted the call by residents. The unit will consist of four detectives and a supervisor, the force's cold case unit and two Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigators.

Williams also said he is reviving Wilmington Police Advisory Council, a body of clergy, business and education leaders and neighborhood representatives that will meet every 30 days. Another police academy is slated to start, which will boost the number of officers.

Councilman Brown said he keeps waiting for all the programs and initiatives to start working, but so far they have not.

"These numbers depict how Wilmington is," he said. "I don't know what to tell people anymore. We take one step forward and another step backward."

Lamotte X, who leads the Wilmington PeaceKeepers, said that while the statistics are grim, he senses a change in the community as police change their tactics, such as walking in neighborhoods. The PeaceKeepers are volunteers who talk to men and youths who hang out at corners where violence has occurred.

"It's like a wave coming now where people are fed up with it and they are willing to report wrongdoing," Lamotte X said. "I feel that in the air."

Victor Pinder III, who moved out of Wilmington two months ago in part because of a shooting near his home in Little Italy, said gun violence has destroyed property values and led many to flee.

"When the crime rate starts to peak and starts to rise, it's time to seek refuge elsewhere," Pinder said while visiting Wilmington's Brandywine Park.

Lifelong city resident Nataki Oliver said street violence is so bad that some are becoming desensitized. Last week one of her relatives was shot, and in another incident a stray bullet struck her home near Hilltop.

"It hurts, but I honestly I couldn't shed a tear," she said, "because I'm so numb to it at this point and that's scary."

UPDATE: This story has been corrected to show that Wilmington rose from eighth to sixth in violence, rather than eighth to fifth as originally posted.

Contact senior reporter Cris Barrish at (302) 324-2785, cbarrish@delawareonline.com, on Facebook or on Twitter @crisbarrish.Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.