DELAWARE - Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings has announced Delaware’s violent crime rates have plummeted to their lowest point since the State began tracking them.
The Attorney General says violent crime in Delaware has dropped 40% since 2008. The decline in violent crime includes a 20% reduction in gun violence following an uptick during the COVID pandemic in 2020.
Summer shootings also saw a 40% decrease according to law enforcement data.
Prison statistics also shared by Jennings at a press conference Monday show the most common lead charge for a sentenced inmate is a gun offense. The overall inmate population in Delaware has fallen by 24% since 2018 as well, according to the Attorney General.
“I’ve never seen another jurisdiction accomplish the things that Delaware is doing simultaneously,” said Attorney General Jennings. “Violent crime, shootings, prison populations, and recidivism have all plummeted in our state, and the latest data tells us that the decline is not a fluke. None of us is declaring mission accomplished — but Delaware is setting itself apart as a national leader in violence reduction. We should all be proud of that progress.”