Consultant Urges Wilmington to Center Community in Police Accountability Efforts

Carlton T. Myers, Esquire, founder, owner and CEO of Myers Strategic Solutions LLC, told the Wilmington City Intergovernmental Committee on May 7, 2025, that policing reform must “center community empowerment” and pair local accountability with transparent processes.

Myers told the committee that his CAP method—community empowerment, accountability and transparency—places residents, especially those from neighborhoods with high crime and negative police interactions, at the center of decisions about stops, arrests, surveillance and use of force. “The people closest to the problems are also the people closest to the solutions,” Myers said.

Myers outlined how the method worked in practice in other jurisdictions and emphasized implementation steps: structured assessments, named assignees for recommendations, timelines for action and follow-through rather than stand-alone reports. He described work with civilian oversight bodies, including recommendations for memoranda of understanding to institutionalize audit access to police data and for building internal mediation capacity (Rule 31 mediators) within oversight offices.

Myers cited examples from Nashville, Milwaukee and Muncie to show different forms the approach can take. In Milwaukee he described 16 community listening sessions—one per aldermanic district—using interactive technology to broaden participation and collect anonymous input; that work contributed to a published report and a citywide community policing plan. In Muncie he said youth-focused sessions produced actionable follow-up items on gun violence prevention.

Council members asked how community stakeholders were selected and whether Myers would work in Wilmington. Council Member Xanthia Oliver asked whether engagements were limited to civic associations or included organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs; Myers said he “rel[ies] on the client” to bring existing connections to the table and then adds value. Council Member Colby Owens asked whether Myers would serve as a consultant in Wilmington; Myers said he would and noted he has previously worked in Wilmington and Delaware with NAACP-related projects.

Committee Chair and Second District Council Member Shanae Darby stressed that conversations about police reform should be paired with violence-prevention efforts led by entities such as the city’s CPSI program. Members noted the administration is awaiting full establishment of the Police Accountability Board/Civilian Review Board and that staffing and nominations (including a mental health and education representative) are outstanding. Committee members said the administration is waiting to receive recommendations from the civilian board once it is established; no formal motion or vote was taken during this presentation.

Myers cautioned against one-size-fits-all solutions, saying that local demographics, histories and interagency relationships determine which practices will succeed in a particular jurisdiction. He recommended interactive, anonymous input tools so a broad cross section of residents and officers can contribute. “There is no 1 size fits all approach,” he said.

Next steps discussed by the committee included completing nominations to the Police Accountability Board so the city can receive and coordinate recommendations, and continued conversations between council, the administration and community stakeholders about consultant support and program design. No formal actions or votes were recorded on contracting or funding at the meeting.