DOVER, DE- Fed up with rising crime and gun violence, Dover neighbors gathered Monday night for the “Dover Voices Heard” town hall, calling not just for conversation, but for real change.
Hosted by the Delaware Department of Justice, End Community Violence Now, and Leaders in Transition, the July 21 event at the Sankofa Cultural Arts Center brought dozens of community members together with city officials and advocates to discuss solutions.
Shaniqua Miles, a small business owner in Dover, says gun violence has become too common—and too painful to ignore.
“One of the main issues is the gun violence in Dover. That’s one of the main things that is heartbreaking.”
Jermaine Zachary, who also owns a business in Dover, says the ongoing violence has hit close to home one too many times.
“It grew within, say, the past ten years. It is growing year by year. And I experienced gun violence at our restaurant.”
The town hall followed a July 14 Dover City Council meeting, where many neighbors showed up to demand action from city leaders.
Ron D. Handy, with Leaders in Transition and a guest speaker at the event, says meaningful change starts from within the community.
“The best way to heal the community is to use the people in the community.”
Attendees broke into five small groups to identify key issues and propose solutions, which were later shared in open discussion.
One of the top concerns: the lack of activities, opportunities, and safe spaces for young people.
Miles says that as more businesses and places shut down, young people are left with fewer opportunities to stay engaged, which she believes is driving them toward crime.
“Having more buildings for children and more recreational sports for them to do is not so costly to the family. I feel that would help.”
Zachary echoed the need to invest in youth to reduce crime and build a stronger future.
“The youth is our future. So if we don’t, we don’t pour into the youth now, then our future is just going to be a shambles.”
Dover City Councilman Brian Lewis, who attended alongside other city officials, says real change will take a collective effort.
“This needs to be a united effort. We need not only to get the local officials involved, but we need the state and federal officials involved.”
We contacted the Dover Police Department, which said it is fully committed to addressing the city’s ongoing violence concerns.
Between January 1 and July 14 in 2024, Dover police seized 64 firearms. During the same period in 2025, that number increased to 88 firearms.
So far in 2025, there have been 24 shootings in Dover, including fatal shootings, injuries, and property damage. These figures are current as of July 14.
Neighbors say they hope these conversations will lead to real action and lasting change in the capital city.