Wilmington mayor details plan to curtail violence

WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) -- Officials in Wilmington, Delaware are rolling out a new plan to respond to a rash of gun-related violence.

Since the start of the New Year there have been at least four homicides.

Newly-elected Mayor Mike Purzycki and Police Chief Bobby Cummings announced a new strategy to stem this tide of shootings.

The mayor says the plan is to deploy more police officers to hot spots as designated by police.

They will also loosen restrictions on overtime for members of the police department, who will work those hot spots on foot patrol.

"It's not only a human cost, but an economic development cost. You can't cripple the city's economy because of a reputation for violence. We just have to spend what it takes to keep these numbers down, to keep the stats of violence down," Purzycki said.

The recent incidents includes the January 8th killing of a store owner. Devonte Dorsette, 22, and teenage boy are now behind bar charged with first-degree murder and other offenses.