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Donald Farrell

Candidate for District 4

Responses to Wilmington Police Reform Survey

Will you vote to make all police disciplinary records public, and push for changes in state law necessary to make that possible?

Yes. When the police contract is up for renewal and being renegotiated this should be included.

Will you vote for an ordinance prohibiting Wilmington police from engaging in civil asset forfeiture?

Yes

Will you vote for Wilmington police to collect and publish data, including by race, on all pedestrian and traffic stops they conduct, including the reason for the stop?

Yes

Will you vote in favor of periodic psychological evaluations of Wilmington police officers? Will you vote for funds to mental health support for officers?

Yes. Mental and psychological fitness should be a standard part of the annual physical, especially for officers guilty of misconduct or engaging in unconstitutional behavior. 

Will you vote for issuing all Wilmington Police officers body cameras?

Yes

Since police officers are public servants, do you believe footage from arrest and police misconduct should be made public record?

Yes

If elected would you create and/or vote yes on an ordinance to end “no knock warrants”?

Yes

Will you vote in favor of ending Operation Safe Streets, which utilizes aggressive policing tactics to harass Wilmington families and community members?

No. Operation Safe Streets is important to the community, however, if the police are engaging in misconduct and unconstitutional behavior then the program needs to be  examined and recalibrated to prevent abuse and mistreatment of innocent residents.

Will you vote in favor of a community review board that has the power to investigate incidents and complaints, audit policy compliance, has hiring and firing authority, and make records and hearings public to the greatest extent possible?

Yes

Will you require and fund Wilmington Police to operate a pre-arrest diversion program for people with substance abuse issues (a model similar to New Castle County’s Hero Help)?

Yes

Communities of color in Wilmington have borne the brunt of aggressive policing and war on crime policies for decades. Those communities also bear the scars of decades of discrimination in housing, education, and access to economic opportunity. What will you do as a Council member, Mayor, or treasurer to repair that harm?

If elected I would institute a comprehensive community policing program by bringing everyone together to share and create a vision of what that would look like. I would create partnership opportunities for the police to come into the community to help repair and renovate some of the vacant homes with residents, tutor and mentor the children and youth.