Dover's Downtown Crisis: Is It Becoming Another Kensington? Residents Demand Action

I am a resident of the 4th District in Dover and read a letter from Mr. Faust: “Dover’s issues need more focus from officials”.

I agree with Mr. Faust’s letter wholeheartedly and am saddened by the lack of responsibility by city officials to clean up the neighborhoods. Crime and homelessness have run rampant in the downtown area, and the business owners and homeowners — the lifeblood of this city — who have invested their life savings feel abandoned and are considering leaving. The 4th District alone is being flooded with drug users, drug dealers, prostitutes and homeless individuals begging on street corners. When Mr. Faust described Dover as becoming another Kensington in Philadelphia, he is 100% correct, and actually, it may be even worse. In the face of this mess, our city leaders have abdicated their responsibilities. They continue to spend money on things without assessing effectiveness or thoughtfully ranking them against other priorities.

The Crisis in Dover's Downtown

As drug-related crimes, gang violence and public order crimes besiege the downtown area, I was recently told by one Dover police officer who I approached as he was sitting in his police cruiser in the parking lot of the Dover Fire Department that their chief frowns upon them making arrests for lower-level crimes like prostitution, panhandling, loitering and harassment. If this is the case, maybe it is time for a new police chief in Dover and, maybe this time, hire a chief who is familiar with our city. This city is on the fast road to becoming the worst, and it will take decades to fix if effective leaders do not start doing the fundamental tasks that we expect and demand our government to perform.

Lack of Effective Leadership

How can Dover revitalize the downtown area when there are more challenges then advantages? It appears the politicians and the Downtown Dover Partnership have invested a lot of public money in building but have done nothing to clean the downtown area up. Everyone says they want a downtown recovery, but remember: Getting it done requires real, attainable goals.

The Path to Revitalization

To real leaders, the solutions would be obvious: Hire more police; enforce and protect the rule of law; ensure that judges impose responsibility for unlawful conduct; enforce loitering, prostitution and vagrancy laws; and make arrests of people committing crimes.

Despite hefty expenditures, the city seems to be spinning its wheels. Has the city studied best practices of municipalities that are succeeding for their inhabitants or at least doing a better job? And do the city’s elected leaders ever reflect on their capacity to govern?