DOVER, DE- Community members rallied in front of Dover City Hall on Monday night to protest a proposed pedestrian safety ordinance being discussed at the City Council meeting. City officials say the measure aims to improve safety by keeping people off medians, but critics argue the focus should be on helping those in need rather than punishing them.
The proposed ordinance, Ordinance 2025-21, aims to amend the city code by adding Section 106-139, entitled "Pedestrian Safety." It would prohibit people from standing on a median through two light cycles or approaching moving cars except when crossing legally.
Before the council meeting, dozens of community leaders, neighbors, and activists gathered outside City Hall to rally against the ordinance, hoping city leaders would carefully review the proposal and its potential legal implications. Some organizers said they hope the council will consider eliminating the ordinance altogether.
Chelle Paul, founder of Divided We Fall, says the ordinance is too vague and risks hurting the very people the city should be supporting.
"Because of the vague writing and verbiage within the ordinance, it actually could be misconstrued and applied to other areas of the law, which could actually be an end result of a person's constitutional rights being violated."
While acknowledging safety concerns with people on medians, Paul said the ordinance could do more harm than good for those already in difficult situations, emphasizing the need to help them rather than punish them.
"There's a safety concern, yes, but this ordinance isn't going to stop the problem — it's only going to add to it."
Toni Jordan of NorthNode Counseling, a community leader opposed to the proposed ordinance, said she worries that it doesn’t address the real issue and calls it a “band-aid fix” to a larger, underlying problem.
"People want to sweep it under the rug, move them away, penalize them. But the problem is still there. Move this person today — another person will be there tomorrow."
Jordan said the city should focus on understanding why people are standing in the medians rather than fining them.
"Our community members who are struggling are our brothers, our sisters, our kids, our parents. If they're on the median, they're there for a reason — and we should find out why and help them."
Under Delaware's Title 21 law, police already have the authority to address unsafe pedestrian behavior, including actions that put themselves or drivers at risk. This includes statutes covering jaywalking, crossing against signals, and careless or inattentive driving, giving officers clear tools to intervene when pedestrians or drivers create safety hazards.
Paul says if current laws aren't being enforced, a new ordinance that mirrors them would only create unnecessary layers without helping anyone.
"It's only going to put money in the pocket of the city. And let's be honest — you're asking for money from people who don't have it. Is that productive or counterproductive?"
Jordan agreed, saying what Dover really needs isn't another ordinance, but a community that comes together to provide support and resources to those who need it most.
"The only way we can combat that is by coming together and sending responsive resources directly to the people, where we can see there's a problem and go from there."
Monday night marks the first reading of the ordinance. City leaders say the measure will then return to the committee for further review before Thanksgiving.