Wilmington officers sworn in as NCCo officers and vice versa [video]

Wilmington Police will start sharing resources with their counterparts in New Castle County this week as part of an effort to support the fight against crime in both jurisdictions.

The plan was first introduced during New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon’s budget address last month.  Under the plan, officers from Wilmington will be sworn in as officers of the New Castle County Police and vice versa for county officers.

“We are going to share each others resources and help each other,” says Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams.  He says criminals aren’t concerned with where the city limits end and where the county begins.  “We have to become a united force to fight crime.  It’s fighting smarter.”

Williams has made fighting crime and making Wilmington safer a major objective during the first few months he’s been in office. He says police are making more arrests and getting more tips from the public.  

He’s also watching the gun debate currently underway in his old stomping grounds at Legislative Hall.  He says while he supports Governor Markell’s agenda to get guns out of the hands of criminals, he won’t go to Dover to lobby to get the measures approved.  He’s focused on enforcing the laws on the books to make the city a safer place.

Williams talked about the merging of resources in an interview that will air on WHYY’s First this Friday night at 5:30 and 11.  You can see a clip of that interview below.